Dearly Beloved
by Tasia'sENDLESSDreams
Summary: It was one of the happiest days that Destiny islands had seen in a long time. After several years of trials and journeys. After depths of their hearts and bonds had been tested, it was finally happening.    Sora and Kairi's wedding.     SoKai RoNami Ri/?
1. You

_**Welcome one! Welcome all! I hope you enjoy this! And believe me…your going to love it….:)**_

_**After several months of this story torturing me in my sleep, I had to start getting some of it out…at least part of it. What you are about to engage in is actually the prologue of my Kingdom Hearts next generation story of epicness. This is a short story to explain what the gang did with their futures, and how its going to play out for the spawn of our favorite fantasy couples (or possibly not so favorite…depends on which team you root for) Any way, I hope you enjoy this. You lovers of SoKai fluff are going to be squeeing in your seats with pleasure…at least I hope so^^ There are several very typical expected couples in this…and then some NOT so expected…which is what I pride myself on. Wonder who Riku is going to end up with? You'll never guess! But do it anyway, I'm curious^^**_

_**But anyway, I hope you enjoy the first part of the Sora and Kairi wedding fic. I tried to use a lot of beautiful imagery and symbolism to capture SoKai in its full extent, so please tell me if its appreciated. I need reviews! The more I have, the faster this gets out, and then the faster the actual story starts^^ haha think I'm bluffing? This sucker is pretty much written out…just try me! Lol I can torture you all if I want..but I wont! If you review that is^^ But anyway….guess I'll stop rambling. To anyone who actually read this…you are VERY patient. Please enjoy!**_

_**with love, the ever absent,**_

_**Tasia'sENDLESSDreams…**_

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It was one of the happiest days that Destiny islands had seen in a long time. It was a day that had been waiting to happen so long, after several years of fates and trials and journeys. After the searching of their souls and the depth of their bonds had been tested, it had finally come to pass.

It was the day of Sora and Kairi's wedding.

It hadn't taken long for these two to realize that they had been eternally made for each other. After their second journey through Kingdom Hearts and having been reunited at last, the two had been attached at the hip. Inseparable. Realizing how much they needed to be together after being torn apart for that long year and a half.

After a year of just being together, as had been promised to their other halves, Roxas and Namine', it had been decided they wanted to be linked as officially as they could at their young age. It had come to pass on Kairi's sixteenth birthday.

She, Sora, and Riku had spent the day with the rest of their friends, celebrating. Happily being together on the wonderful islands they called home. Kairi found mere pleasure in the blessing of simple things like the togetherness of those close to her, but that didn't mean she still wasn't bestowed with gifts on her special day. Each gift carefully thought out, presented, and gratefully received. There had even been an otherworldly delivery, from King Mickey.

It had washed up on the beach of "their" special island, such as had many other things from him. In a carefully sealed package, attached with a note baring the King's insignia, was a tiara. It was made of a shining white gold in beautifully curled and simple yet stylish designs. A pink pearl was placed in the center, among all the curls and swirls in the design. It was beautiful simplicity, yet profound elegance at the same time. It was Kairi.

The note had stated that even though the gift may seem a tad out of place, the King assured her since she actually was a Princess, she might as well have the accessories that went with the title. Kairi was ecstatic. Riku and Sora had forced her to wear the prize the rest of the night. She hadn't fought about it, as was her nature.

At the ending of the night Sora and Kairi had managed to get off alone before everyone else left the island. Riku had made sure they did. The two had wandered off to a waterfall on the quietest place of the island at the time, the area populated with paopu trees.

Sora then presented her with his own gift. He had taken her hand and given it to her under the silent star lit sky, her star lit eyes only matching its majesty in his vision. It was a bracelet, on a gold linking heart chain, with one, yet exceedingly beautiful charm.

The charm was a solid gold, miniature replica of the Kingdom Key. Down to every last detail, even the small keychain dangling at its side. It was meant for profound symbolism. Sora had clasped the charm around her outstretched wrist, and the key charm dangled grazing the palm of her soft hand, which Sora then made wrap around the charm.

In doing this, Sora was saying to Kairi that since the Keyblade is the symbol of a bearer of light, she held within her delicate fingers the bearing to all the light that was in his world. A soft tear slid down her cheek.

She then through her arms around him, holding him, savoring the closeness of their special bond.

No words were needed. Actions would do till the end of time. It had been so clear to her for so long that Sora would be the safe holder of her heart, whether it beat in his own chest, or closely next to it.

It didn't take long for Sora to struggle to release Kairi and quickly run to produce a paopu fruit. One from their favorite tree. The one they had sat beside and discussed the future of their destinies, which had been unknown to them such a short time ago.

Sora and Kairi had each grabbed a piece and, in the action they had waited so long to do, split it in perfect harmony. Each took a bite, and then a strong presence could be felt. A bonding tie between them even greater than before, a light seeming to glow around them. This stage had been complete, their destiny's were now solidly intertwined through out their lifetimes.

Sora decided to seal this deal with a kiss.

It was their first kiss, their first ever-real kiss. Waiting had not taken its toll on the passion shared between it. It had only increased it, bursting like a dam of energy as their lips pressed and met heatedly together. Their first kiss under an island sky, with a crescendo of waterfall, accompanied by ocean waves and the sweet smell of the fruit of binding destiny in the air.

One simple sweet kiss would not do. They had to continue with two, and three, and four, and five, and ten, and twenty; till time and kisses could not be measured in the abyss of their ecstasy. The taste of the fresh paopu clung tantalizingly to their lips made it all the more addicting still.

It would be exceedingly obvious to say that after this night, Sora and Kairi were officially made a couple. Boyfriend-Girlfriend. An item. All the words needed to make it official were addressed.

And they continued blissfully like this, until their relationship intensified.

And then Sora proposed to Kairi. On her 20th birthday.

He had done it in almost an exact same manner as their first kiss. With the crescendo of ocean waves and a full night sky and a scent of paopu, and one million kisses. Except this time, there was a ring to accompany the rest of their good luck charms. This perhaps being more important than all the rest. It was a beautiful ring. A gold banded pink heart shaped diamond as the centerpiece, it was surrounded on the band by a series of smaller white diamonds. Six to be exact.

Kairi pretty much cried again. Letting tears of happiness fall for Sora's beautiful use of symbolism. She told him, "Yes." Yes a million times, till the end of time. One word never felt so right and perfect to the two of them before.

The plans were to go ahead for the two of them to get married.

First there was the matter of the guest list.

They wanted to invite all the important people of their past, unfortunately; most of them were beyond worldly boundaries. It would take some special permission, and of course transportation, to surpass these Boundaries.

They decided they would have to butter up King Mickey. He was the first to receive an invitation, in person of course. Sora, Riku, and Kairi were able to call in a favor from Donald and Goofy and get a gummi ship to take them to Disney Castle to deliver the good news. Mickey was thrilled as ever for the couple, though not completely oblivious to know that this is how things would turn out.

Of course they asked a certain favor of him Permission to enter among the boundaries of the other worlds to see their good friends once more. It was the permission to invite some of their most trusted allies to this solitary and special event.

King Mickey was reluctant, but was eventually broken down by Queen Minnie. She reminded him of their own wedding, and how it had been the most special day to each of them because so many of his masters and allies had been there to support them. Most of them had been from other worlds.

He gave them permission, but on the basis that the guests be selected carefully and could manage keeping the secret of this meddling from other worlds. Some magic may even be required to keep that promise.

Kairi thought she could distinctly remember queen Minnie giving her a wink as the King gave the sighed approval.

Now that the guests were a sure thing, the event would be perfect. Something out of the most clichéd and romantic fairytale. The princess of light and the hero of light overcoming the odds and professing their love in a fantasy wedding.

And yet…something seemed incomplete to them still.


	2. May

Everyone had been happy for them, Riku especially **(and he didn't fail in trying to gain some of the credit for them hooking up in the first place). **Even their other halves, Namine' and Roxas, let them know from the deep dimensions of their Somebody's dreams that they were truly happy for them. After all, in the two of them being together, Namine' and Roxas could achieve to be together by default.

Still, to Kairi and Sora, something still didn't feel right.

They had grown closely attached to their Nobody's over the years, being able to communicate to them through meditation or subconscious slumber. Kairi and Sora had come to know Namine and Roxas as the individual personalities, talents, and dreams they developed during their short lives. They also knew of the hardship and sacrifice that the two blonde headed personas had gone through.

While Sora and Kairi had finally achieved in being together in the full extent, they realized it didn't seem fair to them. The two of them got to be together entirely, while Namine' and Roxas had to settle for the half version of a full blossoming relationship. They had to fulfill it through their Somebody's.

Sora and Kairi knew they wouldn't even have been able to stand together, hand in hand, if it hadn't been for the sacrifice of their Nobodies. The sacrifice of their own new lives to join with their previous ones. Namine' and Roxas had tasted their own breath and individuality, as however empty and half lived it had been. They had been alive on their own, and they gave it all up to complete Sora and Kairi.

The Princess and the Keyblade's Chosen decided they wouldn't feel right about being united until their Twin others could do the same. Wholly and fully, with hearts of their own that they rightfully deserved.

Their searches for a method brought the group to a recommended friend of King Mickey's, the great Wizard Master Yen Sid. He had been the King's mentor in the early stages of his training, and if anyone knew a secret to the trick they needed it would be him.

Yen Sid's presence was awe inspiring ,powerful and also very intimidating. But after Sora and Kairi had presented the sad story of the two faithful Nobodies and asked for any way to give them a chance at existence again, Yen Sid seemed to agree with out fail. He knew pure intentions when he saw them, and the young Keyblade Warrior had already paid enough dues to ask for such an impossible seeming request.

He did know a way, but it would it involve very deep and complex magic. It involved a spell bordering light and dark breaking boundaries that also involved very specific ingredients to complete. And it was a one shot chance, if it failed, the after math would not be desirable in any sense.

Kairi and Sora were willing to take that chance. They had a debt to repay.

It had taken another long journey and the magical scavenger hunt through out the worlds that Yen Sid had sent them on. Yet in the end, they were able to locate the means to give the two Nobodies their own Hearts.

Being that Sora was the Key Blade Master and Kairi was a princess of Heart, they had their own sort of magical properties about them where their hearts were strong enough to be able to survive without their Nobody halves. In fact, as long as the Nobodies and Others merely existed side by side, they could have their own lives.

The process consisted of actually splitting Kairi and Sora's hearts so they shared them with Roxas and Namine'. It had worked before, so they couldn't think of a reason why it couldn't be recreated under more favorable circumstances.

During the time that spell had been cast, Sora and Kairi stood hand in hand, eyes closed, hearts continuously hoping for the best. Since their hearts were linked, they needed to be together for the spell to have a shot. If something went wrong, their hearts would be shattered and both of the Others and their Nobodies would cease to exist. There was no returning from Kingdom Hearts with this kind of magic.

Only when out of a wisp of shimmering darkness as Namine' and Roxas separated and appeared before them, did they know that the road of Light had aided them in the completion of the spell.

Namine and Roxas were all but reduced to tears as they felt the dark shell of their beings replaced with the essence of light. The feeling of their own hearts, even split in half, was a remarkable feeling to possess.

Namine and Roxas were thrilled. They were complete.

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Maybe I'm, just too nice…

_**I still need reviews people! About 60 people have checked out this story so far! SOMEBODY has got to have a thought about SOMETHING in it!**_

_**Please! I will give you a cybercookie…I promise…**_

_**Or will other negotiations have to me made?**_

_**Geez it sucks to have to bribe people…but a writer must do what she must!**_

_**Favorite and review ^^**_

_**The ever absent,**_

_**Tasia'sENDLESSDreams…**_


	3. Now

Things seemed more fulfilled between the entire group now. Sora and Kairi were ready to start planning their wedding, a summer wedding, and the perfect tropical season for an Island union.

The day approached with in a year after. It was held on there island, bringing together their own friends and also new surprises.

The biggest surprise was how Sora was able to keep himself from getting a sneak peek of Kairi before the ceremony.

He was pacing back and forth in one of the rooms that had been set up to get ready in before going to the island for the ceremony. This was a time where Sora's limitless energy didn't seem to be able to be contained.

He went back from the mirror, to the other side of the room, to adjusting his tux, to back to the mirror again, but in more of an excited than nervous swoop.

"Wow Riku," Sora said, running a hand through his spiky hair with a nervous laugh. "I keep thinking about it in my head and it seems more and more unreal. That me and Kairi are actually going to…its just ...wow..."

Riku laughed at him and went to go fix the blue tropical flower that was unsettled in his tux pocket.

"It was only yesterday you were swinging around a key that was almost twice your size, meddling in cosmic affairs as a goofy kid, right Sora?"

Sora just shoved his shoulder back in a non-violent way and went to try to fix himself.

Riku fixed his own jacket and smirked. Riku was fulfilling the placement of best man, and he was doing it with an impeccable swagger. He looked incredible in his tuxedo, even more so than he naturally did. An aquamarine flower was tucked into his front pocket

Not that this was his only important role in the wedding. He was serving a job for both the bride and the groom, neither of which he could refuse. His job for Sora involved being right hand man for the important day. His job for Kairi involved ushering her down the aisle. It wasn't an understatement to say he was key theme in the wedding..

"You look fine Sora," Riku said. "I don't think you can get your hair any spikier than it already is. Geez, isn't it supposed to be the bride that freaks out over how they look?"

"Well we can't all be flawless like you Riku," Sora argued humorously. "Seriously man, what are trying to do, steal me AND Kairi's thunder?"

Riku merely laughed, shrugging as if being so naturally dapper wasn't really his fault. "Nah, You know Yuffie and Selphie would shoot the first person who even looked half as good as they've been making Kairi today."

Sora laughed with him. "Ha-ha that is so true! Since Kairi doesn't fit the role of Bridezilla those two did it for her."

Riku shook his head recalling. "I remember how Yuffie wouldn't even see anyone until she got all the preparations for the wedding done. Did you know that she stayed up till two in the morning last night altering the placement of the dishes on all the tables because each glass was "too far to the left." That girl has gone mad."

Sora chuckled.  
"At least her mind has been on the wedding and not all the attention you're going to get as the best man from any romance starved bridesmaids."

Riku just smirked, and tossed a hand through his platinum hair. "Sadly I'm taken. Guess I'll just have to go breaking a few hearts today."

Sora scoffed. "Well what's new with that?"

Riku laughed. But it was true. With his intense looks and his usual cool demeanor, he had usually attracted alot of female attention. But, he had been so busy fighting his own demons and darkness; he hadn't really taken notice or advantage of any of it.

He had been looking for some one special. It was hard to replace Kairi in his heart, and though now Kairi was more his sister than ever and he fully supported her and Sora's relationship, it would take some one extraordinary to fill the placement she had left.

So Riku remained single, until recently.

"I don't think the new Mrs. Riku has much to worry about though," Sora said leaning with his hands behind his head in a relaxing motion.

"Really, you're right. Since the bridesmaids are all only Namine, Selphie, Yuffie, and the princesses of heart, I think I'll be safe from any attacks. Besides, I don't need any angry princes on my case." Riku added.

"Well I don't know man, little Alice has been growing up in these past five years. Those teenage emotions may be kicking in pretty soon for her." Sora joked.

"You're funny." Riku said sarcastically, whipping the long platinum hair out of his eyes. "I highly doubt Yuffie is

* * *

going to see a 13-year old girl as a threat, and if she does, we may need counseling."

Yuffie…

It was the strangest occurrence on how they had gotten together. Sometimes Riku still couldn't believe it himself. He wasn't an impulsive person, he always thought things out carefully, but maybe some of Yuffie's impulsiveness had rubbed off on him that day.

It had been during the journey when they were finding the means to help make Namine' and Roxas separate individuals. They had all set base camp up in Radiant Gardens and Riku finally became acquainted with the friends that had been assisting Sora for years.

Aerith was unfailingly kind. Leon was serious and focused in the complete and final restoration of Radiant Gardens. Tifa's strength and daring was almost comical to him. Cloud, eerily, reminded him somewhat of himself. But the one that had particularly stood out to him, was Yuffie.

First, her fighting prowess was nothing to be overlooked. She was an amazing athlete and warrior. Most of her training had been self-taught, and she pushed herself all the time to become the ninja she knew she could be. But it wasn't her physical ability that had completely impressed him.

It was also her attitude, a continuous upbeat streak and grin that almost reminded him of Sora.

If he ever told Yuffie _**o**__r_ Sora that fact about their comparison that drew Yuffie to him, he knew they would never let him live it down. But the personality was there, plain as day. Nothing could ever get her down, no matter how hard the world tried to defeat her. And this trait about her almost made him reflect something within himself. He had almost been beaten by the darkness and almost had stopped fighting for his world and himself.

But here she was. Some one who had gone through almost the exact same thing.

Her leader had turned to darkness. Her world had been consumed by heartless and an abyss. She had to flee her home and continuously plan a resistance to win it back. She had to defend her friends, and when she finally did reclaim her world, she was left with a world in shambles. She then worked harder than ever to restore it. No matter what faced her, she always found a reason to keep smiling. A reason to keep fighting.

This is what Riku admired, her will to fight.

They had gotten stuck as partners when everyone was sent searching around the worlds for Merlin's method to bring out Namine and Roxas. Sometimes she was unbearable to be around. The upbeat-ness was uncalled for in many situations. She would play practical jokes like she was 13 and not 21. She always tried to get him to lighten up. She would make him laugh when he didn't want to. She would make him smile when the thought never occurred to him. She would completely improvise away on her own agenda in several occurrences, always messing up his carefully calculated plans, but some how managing to make it work.

She drove him crazy, but at the same time, he couldn't see himself being surrounded by anyone else. She was just like Sora, a complete, sunshiny opposite of himself. Yet at the same time, his complete compatible equal.

And she was beautiful, but it had taken a minute for him to realize he thought this.

It had been on a mission to one of the worlds, Agrabah he thought. The Genie was said to be an expert on ancient magic and was able to tell the location of some of the items they needed. While in the desert world, Yuffie had decided they would play sightseer against Riku's will. After highjacking a magic carpet, she drove the two of them around through the night over the desert sand, marveling at oases and ancient relics.

Her eyes had been so alive, and had matched the sky. A raven black pool of constant stars.

Yuffie had grown up, her features were more developed and not as childish. Her lips were fuller, her lashes were heavier, and her cheekbones had formed a mature shape to her face. Yet she seemed totally unaware. That was until she had caught Riku staring. She had turned to him as they were above the desert, and knew that she was dazing him.

Then, out of her own daring impulsiveness, she had kissed him. She had given a flirtatious smirk, through her arms around his neck, locked his hands in her (now shoulder length) shiny night black hair, and she had kissed him. Riku still couldn't forget the intensity.

This continued between them during the remainder of their partnership, more on her part of course. Her flirtatious advances and ambushing showers of kisses was something he had eventually gotten used to and enjoyed. They had chemistry on a lot of possible levels, and he got used to being in the groove of constantly having her around.

Yet at the end of the journey, when Roxas and Namine were finally complete, they were all ready to leave to go back to Destiny Islands and leave Radiant Gardens behind. When this day finally came, the realization hit Riku like a freight train.

Yuffie was going to have to be left behind. Sure he would most likely see her at the ceremony, but after that they had to make sure that the worlds would stay separated and secure. That meant he would never see her again.

For a moment, the absence of her presence seemed almost unfathomable. After being exposed to months of her carefree grin, impish wit, short sighted daring; how could he possibly return to a reality with out their existence?

Riku had proved that he wasn't one to let go of strong bonds easily, and this time was no exception. For the first time in a long time, the void Kairi had left didn't seem so barren anymore. Yuffie had made him forget it with her spunk, perhaps even mended it. Would it be likely he would ever find that again? That was a bet he didn't want to gamble.

So as everyone was standing outside Merlin's house saying their good-byes, he remained stoic and somber, contemplating all these different things. Yuffie had come up to him, completely casually, with that laid back aura, but at the same time the hint of a sad smile on her face.

"Trying to forget about me already, Pretty boy?" she had said lightly (calling him a nickname that had frequented their travels), stretching out her cat like frame. "I admit it'll be a little hard, I leave a pretty big impression on people."

He didn't respond to her, instead just staring at her, taking her in, his mind still not all together there.

Her face had pouted slightly, giving her head a slight tilt.

"Come on now Pretty boy, don't start getting all mopey on me." She sighed, trying to hold in her own sad feeling behind her cheerful mask. She stepped closer to him, a hand behind her back, her grin returning trying to get rid of the awkward aura.

"We had fun though, didn't we Tiger?" she laughed, punching him softly on arm, as if to congratulate a job well done.

He still didn't say anything, and just kept analyzing her. Her grin couldn't mask the dismal disappointment running through her eyes. He knew she didn't want to let go either.

She sighed again, feeling as if there wasn't a way to cheer him up this time.

"So…um," her breath seemed to hitch in her throat. "I guess this is goodbye, Riku?"

She awkwardly held out a hand to shake his. She thought it might be better to end this as platonically as possible. That would make it easier to accept the situation. And she also felt that it might not be quite appropriate to ask him for one more smooch for the road (space voyage?). Riku never did seem one to be the PDA type.

So maybe it was some of Yuffie's impulsiveness that had rubbed off on him. Because never in his wildest dreams would Riku ever imagine himself bending on a knee in the spur of the moment and letting the words 'marry me' slip from his lips.

The entire group was stunned, and Yuffie had thought he was joking, but deep in his heart Riku knew he couldn't have been more serious. He was one to go to great extreme lengths to keep the people close to him closer still. And he wanted Yuffie close with one of the most unbreakable ties possible.

Yuffie said yes, but it came after several moments of mouth gaping and reality checks.

She didn't know what to say at first, Radiant Gardens was all but stable again. A heartless epidemic hadn't been seen in a good while, but how could she just leave her home world after she had tried so hard to reclaim it? What else would she be doing with her life if she wasn't protecting Radiant Gardens? And how could she leave all the people in her life, the ones that had practically raised her? Half of her heart wanted to say yes and go with Riku and see other worlds and start a new chapter, but the other half of her heart was extremely loyal and didn't want to just take off.

She couldn't decide.

It had actually been Leon who helped her make her decision. Seeing the desperate look on her face, he had stoically come over, put a hand on her shoulder and said, "You've fought hard Yuffie." She looked up at him with tear stricken eyes. "You've been with us forever, and we've done a lot together. But now this is your choice."

"You're a young woman now." Aerith had said gently, with almost maternal pride filled eyes. "We know better than anyone about your adventurous and restless spirit. We've helped you grow as much as we could, but now, if you want go off and see for yourself the stars you've helped protect, why would we want to stop you?"

For the first time since meeting her , Riku saw Yuffie reduced to tears. But smiling tears mind you.

It had happened right there in Radiant Gardens, that very same day. Because Yuffie would have stabbed herself with one of her own shuriken before she would let Aerith, Leon, or any of her friends from Radiant Garden miss a moment like that in her life.

It was a whirlwind event. Merlin had married them. Aerith had given her the dress. Leon had given her away. Tifa couldn't stop bawling. Cloud actually smiled. And then Yuffie became the new Mrs. Riku.

And she left with him to start a new chapter in her life, to see the stars.

Riku remembered her laughing in the ship, making herself at home in his lap saying to Sora,

"Well, now I guess I have an excuse to see those Islands you were always telling me about Sora."

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_**Two chapters in one night? You guys owe me…big time…**_

_**So reviews please^^ or PM's would be awsome too. Either way I want to here from you.**_

_**PLEASE! COME ON! I just dropped a bombshell of a couple on you guys! The mysterious question of Riku's romantic future was answered! It was completely out the blue too!**_

_**You all would be lying through your teeth if you said there was no reaction to that.**_

_**So share it with us^^**_

_**The ever absent (maybe not so much anymore),**_

_**Tasia'sEndlessDreams…**_


	4. Kiss

"Just keep her mind on **my **wedding man, and you should be good." Sora said in finalization for Riku, running a hand through his spikes one last time and preparing to head out the door.

"I'd be careful about letting Yuffie hear you say that." Riku laughed, walking smoothly and closely behind Sora. "As far as any one is concerned, this day is hers and hers alone. You and Kairi are just the lead actors. You're very lucky Kairi is so patient with her friends."

Sora paused by the door, the faint light of the outside coming through it part way.

"Yeah, I am lucky…" he murmured.

Sora began having thoughts of Kairi dance in his head.

He turned to Riku, disbelief in his eyes. "Riku, how can everything suddenly be so perfect? How does it seem that just yesterday I thought I had lost the both of you forever, but today I'm standing next to my best friend getting married to the girl of my dreams. It just doesn't add up, can I really be so lucky now?"

Riku stopped, put a hand on Sora's shoulder, and looked at him dead center. His reminiscence of Yuffie had given him a sudden solid answer to Sora's bewildering.

"Sora, it's not luck. You earned it. You may not think you deserve to be happy just yet, but you really do. You're just so used to having to fight for everything, it's a mystery when it falls in your lap all at once."

No matter what Riku said, he still didn't know in a million years how he had come across some one like her. It either had to be destiny or a lucky star of fate. That's probably what it was. The very same star that had brought her to him on the islands.

Sora didn't care if he had earned his happiness or not. To him, every trial and tribulation was worth it to reach Kairi. He would do it all over again, suffer every challenge just to reach her. Just to reach her beautiful smile and violet blue eyes.

He smiled, and a whisper of a breeze coming from outside felt as if it was letting him know she was doing the exact same thing right now. She was so amazing, how could he really be spending the rest of his life with her as of this day?

Riku gave Sora one last piece of advice, trying to soothe his younger friends worries with a piece of his own acquired knowledge.

"The door of the past has closed for you Sora, and whether you're ready to or not, you've got to decide to step through this new one. But no matter what happens, you better know that Kairi and me are waiting for you on the other side. That's the way it's always been."

Sora turned back to Riku, the smile lingering on his face, and nodded giving the reassurance that he finally ready to walk out the door. The groom and best man shared one final smirk between them, and then Sora continued walking out the door.

"Lets go Riku," he said, deciding to step through the door. "I'm ready."

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"Kairi you look gorgeous!" Selphie squealed, putting the final touches on Kairi's hair. "My work is amazing! Am I not amazing? Dear God I'm good at this! Namine! Yuffie! Everyone you have to come look at her!"

The large room filled with bridesmaids cluttered around the chair that Kairi was practically strapped into. Kairi blushed, not really used to all the attention as the Princesses of Heart and her other best friends cooed about her appearance. It's not like if she knew whether it was justified or not. The girls (mostly Selphie and Yuffie) had refused to show her what she looked like, wanting it to be a surprise. She just sighed with good nature and let herself be fawned over.

"You look lovely!" Alice cooed.

"Simply beautiful! You really do look like royalty, Kairi!" Jasmine encouraged.

"Truly a fair vision!" Snow White added.

"Sora is very lucky Kairi." Belle smiled, gazing fondly at the fellow Princess' dress.

All the princesses of heart were adding their say, and Yuffie (with her daring) pushed herself to the front of the huddle to inspect approvingly.

"Nice job Selphie," she said officially with a smirk. "That do looks great on you, all we have to do it reposition the tiara the right way." She went and adjusted the veil on Kairi's head in her desired fashion.

"Wow, Yuffie." Kairi giggled, blowing a stray curl out of her face. "You really got into the details. Didn't think you'd be one to care about all the extra frills and sparkles."

Yuffie shrugged, re-arranging some more of Kairi's already perfect hairpieces.

"Probably the hidden girl in me. I can be feminine **sometimes** ya know. Maybe if my own 'special day' hadn't been so short, I wouldn't be fussing over yours."

She huffed at the thought of the hurried ceremony between her and Riku.

Kairi just smiled, remembering too. She had let Yuffie plan her wedding as a request from Riku. She didn't mind.

Kairi was never particularly picky, so she was more than happy to let Yuffie take over. Yuffie had erupted into a sudden planning machine, wanting everything to be perfect.

The justification? Possibly that secretly all girls want the perfect 'special day', Yuffie's just hadn't allowed her the luxury of time of to plan one. It seemed her naturally gung ho nature was put to practical use and she arranged everything that would suit Sora and Kairi.

But of course since Selphie was Kairi's best friend for longest time, she had thrust herself into having a say on what was going to happen, so Kairi told them that they could work together. Little did she know that her good natured suggestion might just have created a monster.

All of the sudden Yuffie stopped fussing and examined Kairi's face slowly, then turned to Selphie. "You did use the color of eye shadow I told you right?"

Selphie shook her head. "The magenta was too strong on her face, so I used a pastel pink with a hint of charcoal to give her a smokier look. It looks better than what you suggested."

Yuffie's eyes suddenly narrowed. "But there are magenta star gazer lilies in her bouquet. Her eyes were supposed to be accentuated by her bouquet. I thought I told you that already. How is that supposed to happen if the shadow color doesn't match the bouquet."

Yuffie's hands were on her hips, and she was holding said bouquet for Kairi, clad in one the bride's maid dresses that she had chosen **(Namine had helped Kairi hint her preferred suggestions).**

All of the girls had slim, silk strapless dresses. Each dress was a soft and beautiful silver color, with accenting jewelry and bouquets in the signature color of each princess.

Selphie huffed, and shot a look right back to her wedding partner in crime. Yuffie may have liked to take charge, but Selphie was also very passionate about her own romantic dreams. She would not have her vision criticized.

"She looks better this way! That's how she's going to stay!" Selphie said, completely determined.

"We have a color scheme!" Yuffie argued, thrusting the bouquet she was holding in Selphie's face.

Selphie swatted it away and gripped Kairi's shoulder, as if to defend her territory.

"I thought I told you to leave the beauty stuff to me ninja girl!" Selphie said. "Kairi is MY best friend and so I get decide what make up goes on her pretty face!"

Yuffie pursed her lips. "Kairi told **me** I could plan this thing! There fore I get say on final touches! You better not even mess with me right now!"

Kairi sighed helplessly. "Guys…really…its alright." She put her hands up, trying to keep the peace. "It really doesn't matter on the make up. You've both done so much already. It's okay, really."

The two still continued to bicker and Kairi threw Namine a pleading look, which Namine picked up straight away. She glided to the group softly, looking particularly stunning in her silver dress since it went so well with her pale features. She tapped on both girls shoulders lightly, rescuing her Other.

"Guys," she said softly, yet boldly. "Why don't we let Kairi decide for herself about what she looks like. You've kept her in the dark long enough. It is kind of her wedding, remember?"

The two quarreling girls stopped and looked embarrassed. Selphie un-seized Kairi and stepped away, playing with the silver choker around her neck.

"I'm sorry Kai," she said abashed. "Guess I got a little carried away. This is YOUR day. I hope you like the job I did. If not, I can change it right now. No questions asked."

Kairi stood up from the chair with a hand from Namine and shook her head, smiling and hugging Selphie.

"I'll love it Selph. Who else am I going to trust at getting me ready for anything? After several years of dances, parties, and sleepovers, I **know** you know what you're doing."

Selphie beamed and stepped away as Yuffie stood in front of Kairi, her signature hand behind her head, trying to lighten herself up (**though carefully not messing up her flipped out down do she had actually taken the time to do)**.

"I'm really sorry Kairi. I got carried away too. Guess it's in my nature though." She held out the white and pink bouquet for Kairi to take.

"I'm glad you did." Kairi said with a slight giggle. "You took care of all the things I wouldn't even think of. Everything is so awesome. Thank you. If both you and Selphie hadn't put this together I don't know who would have."

"Sora?" Namine' suggested jokingly, putting gentle finger to the corner of her mouth.

The entire room laughed and all the previous tension disappeared.

"That's a really serious joke Blondie." Yuffie laughed affectionately, then turning back to Kairi. "But seriously Kairi I really don't know what the hell was wrong with me. Honestly, its probably just all of the new hormones now, but still-"

"Wait!" Kairi paused her suddenly. "Did you just say 'hormones?' Yuffie, you don't mean what I think you mean, do you?"

Her last words had just spawned a single insinuation in her head. Her and Riku had been together for a couple months now, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary. But actual news of something like that would still be shocking enough to here.

An impish grin played over Yuffie's face and she winked knowingly. "Don't tell Riku yet, kay?" she told them all in a hush-hush tone. "I want it to be a surprise."

The entire room squealed in congratulations, Cinderella, Aurora, and Jasmine especially, being mothers them selves already. Kairi through her arms happily around Yuffie. This was amazing news to her, and especially being that it was proof that a new bright future was happening for all of them.

Just then, Aerith poked her head into the dressing room, looking beautiful in her own pink formal halter.

"Excuse me girls, but the ceremony is going to start soon, so every one has to take their places." She announced.

She examined the bride's maids and smiled warmly. "You all look lovely." Her eyes then caught sight of Kairi and she clapped her hands in delight, gushing over the vision of white and lace that Kairi had become. "Oh! Kairi! You look absolutely beautiful!"

She came and gave Kairi a quick hug as she blushed, and then led the rest of the girls into the area to get ready for the bridal march. Yuffie grinned and handed Kairi her bouquet, going out the door herself.

"Guess you'll have to take just a quick look, princess." Yuffie said. "Cause now its show time!"

She picked up her own bouquet and sprinted excitedly out the door to watch her set up in action.

Namine paused for a moment and held Kairi's hand, smiling gently.

"Thank you." Kairi said appreciatively to her other half, holding Namine's hand tightly.

"No," Namine said shaking her head. "Thank you. I'm so happy right now, you truly don't even know."

Namine lowered her head slowly, feeling almost unable to look at Kairi.

The two of them had been bonding even more so since the moment she had received the other half of Kairi's heart. During that time the recollections of her actions in the past seemed to come back to her. With the new set of real and individual emotions she now possessed, guilt had become reoccurring. Actually looking into the eyes of Kairi on a daily basis now, it became harder to face her. And seeing her and Sora together in all their happiness hurt her as well. She didn't long for Sora anymore, she had Roxas to fill that place more perfectly in her heart. It was just the thought that she had almost torn apart such beautiful relationship between them. It brought real tears to her eyes.

"Everything is as it should be." She added softly, trying to get Kairi to understand her new honest emotions. "You and Sora together…that's how it should be. I'm so sorry for the past, everything that I did to the both of you…"

A grateful tear slid down her face as she held Kairi's hand tighter.

"I owe you both so much…" she murmured, her head hung.

Kairi pulled Namine into a sisterly hug instantly, feeling the connection between them.

"I think that we're even." Kairi whispered with a smile.

Namine nodded knowingly, brushing the tear away with an appreciative look. She gave Kairi one more tight squeeze, and then exited the room to give the bride to be a moment to herself before everything started.

Kairi saw the door close and let out a relieved sigh, letting the events of the day wash over her. Walking over to a floor length mirror, she got the first view of herself since the events of the day had begun.

Her breath was nearly taken away. Selphie really did have her work cut out for her.

Her auburn hair was thickly curled and was put into messy, yet elegant up do. Stray curls were let out all around her face, and others dangled delicately out of the bun in the back. It was held up with dozens of silver hairpins, a small pale pink pearl glittering at the end of each one. In the center of her head was the tiara she had received for her sixteenth birthday. She hadn't touched the headpiece till this day, saving it for a special occasion. Kairi was sure this justified as one.

Kairi's eyes were painted a pale, smoky pink and the violet blue color of her iris popped against her full dark lashes. She appeared to be continuously blushing, and her lips were a shiny, rich pink. Pearl earrings dangled daintily against her ears and a white lace choker embedded with pink pearls was wrapped around her throat.

The most stunning feature had to be the dress.

The dress was a strapless, like the bride's maid dresses, but much more elegant. The bottom layer was white silk and hugged Kairi's every curve tightly running straight to the floor with a long train. The top layer of the dress was a cover of white lace over the white satin. It gathered flatteringly at the bust, with a lace belt around the waist and leaving the rest of the lace to flow freely out and over the cut of the dress. It carried in a train several yards behind Kairi, and drapery pieces connected from her wrist to the dress flowed every time she moved her arms. The lace veil attached to her tiara was the length of her train and tiny pink pearls matching her tiara were sewn into the fabric.

To Kairi, the person in the mirror was completely foreign and breathtaking.

She caught a sight of her empty ring finger in the mirror and smiled, excitedly waiting for the new ring that was to be put on it. Visions of Sora danced in her head, and she couldn't help but smile, thinking of him and their future for the rest of their lives. She had prepared something special for him and she couldn't wait to share them with him once the ceremony began.

It had been a long and perilous journey for them, but it had prepared them for the next step in their lives. No matter what could happen to them now, nothing could separate her and Sora. No darkness in existence would be able to penetrate the bond of devotion the two of them shared in their hearts. The world could crumble around them tomorrow, and she wouldn't care, because it would crumble with Sora eternally at her side. That's all she had ever wanted.

The perfection she had foreseen for the future was finally coming true, she had never doubted its presence.

She gripped the bouquet in her hands and exhaled excitedly, finally heading for the door where Namine was waiting to help Kairi with the train of her dress **(one of her many 'maid of honor' duties).**

"This is it," she whispered to herself happily, reaching for the handle of the door. "I'm ready."

* * *

_First! Big shout out to **thedemon117!** Thankyou so much! You are awsome beyond words for reviewing first and then messaging me! And lets not forget **Stealth Photographer** too All of you should follow their reviewing example! THEY are feasting on tons of cyber cookies at this very moment._

_But This chapter has got to be one of my favorite scenes in this thing^^ I wasn't going to have these at first, but I wrote them and couldn't leave them out. I think its great to know what each half of the couple is thinking before the big walk is the taken. XP_

_Yuffie's controllingness you make us? I just thought it would be hilarious! It was just selphie at first, but I think having Yuffie as her partner in crime gave it even more humor and motive. I tried very hard to not make her OOC, but this is fiction and I wanted it in there. Besides, with Yuffie's spunk and new "hormones", I thought her going all star struck about the wedding would be funny^^ tell me if you oppose!_

_ Tasia'sEndlessDreams…_


	5. The

The ceremony was held beach side on The Island. All in attendance were all of the allies and friends from Sora, Kairi, and Riku's past adventures. Everything was special. The location. The guests. The happy couple. Not one metaphorical hair was out of place when the wedding finally began.

True to her word, Yuffie had made sure everything was perfect. The beach where everyone was seated was decked out with the ever-important color scheme she had tried putting together. The main color being a neutral silver with hints of color to represent the bride and groom. A royal blue for Sora, a pale pink for Kairi.

A rich silver carpet was rolled out along the beach on the sand. It was in between the seats leading up to the altar and was where the bridal march would take place on. All the guests were seated, and King Mickey was waiting at the head of the altar with Sora. He had agreed to marry them as a request of the young couple and was extremely honored.

Nothing would make it more of a fairy tale wedding than to exchange vows in the presence of a King. These were just one of the special touches that had been added.

Other's included royal maidens in the bridal party. Warriors and magic wielders in the groomsmen. Sora had a handful of friends he asked to accompany him. The list consisting of Riku, Roxas, Tidus and Wakka (of course). And then outside members including Donald and Goofy (Sora thought it would be impossible to go on this new adventure with out them), the Beast (who had recently been transformed into a svelte and kindhearted prince), and then Aladdin and the Genie.

Genie had even helped with some of the wedding plans, saying that he was an expert at it by now, and would be throwing the reception party after the wedding. Of course, he would do only what would work with Yuffie's precise schedule.

A beautiful piano intro began to play, courtesy of Aerith who sat on a grand piano that had been brought out for the occasion. The song was an instrumental that seemed newly constructed, but at the same time created a song ghostly familiar to everyone listening to it. It sounded as if the ballad had words written between the melody, but the lyrics would be delayed until later, as to not interrupt the vows of the main couple.

The bridesmaids and groomsmen then began to file in, with Namine and Roxas leading the head. Then came Pluto as the ring bearer, and the delicate little flower girls (cousins of Selphie. Kairi added them as a thanks for planning the wedding) came after throwing pink rose petals down the wedding aisle.

And then everyone's head turned for the arrival of the bride.

A flurry of pale pink rose petals rained down magically out of nowhere (courtesy of the Genie on Yuffie's command). And then appearing out of the shower, as an angelic vision of pearl and lace, was Kairi.

For five seconds, Sora lost the cognitive ability to breathe.

She was so beautiful it was heartbreaking.

As Yuna sang Kairi seemed to glide with the piano. She gave the melody of Aerith's beautiful song a visual manifestation.

Her eyes were dark ocean pools. She was an angel stepping out of his sweetest dreams. Her curls brushed against her face as she walked. Her long lace train floating behind her.

As she made her grand promenade, all the realizations of everything that was to come hit Sora harder than any enemy he'd ever faced. When he had said he was ready, _**this**_ was what he had to be ready for. Protecting this enchanting creature from any hardship to come. The weight of that responsibility seeped into his heart with a cold after shock.

The way her eyes were lighting up right now, like the first sight of Heaven's gates, that's how they had to stay. For the rest of their lives. **No** excuses. **No** exceptions.

He made a vow on his right then to die trying to keep that process.

She finally made her last steps up to the altar and the one to give Kairi away was none other than the best man.

Kairi had seen nobody else fit besides Riku to give her away as a bride. She couldn't remember her parents, and as long as she could remember Riku had been taking care of Sora and herself for most of their childhood. He was like an older brother to them both. The perfect third piece in their trio. The stable force between them that had sacrificed himself on the road of darkness, so they both could keep the lights in their hearts.

He had always protected each of them. Now he was sealing his duties by giving them to each other to protect. It seemed a perfect ending before the trio's new beginning.

He held Kairi's arm and looked at her.

"You look great Kai," he said softly, spilling any words he had for her through his eyes. "I'm happy for you two."

A faint tear ran down Kairi's cheek as she squeezed his hand and whispered.

"You're my best friend; you're my brother Riku. You've taken such good care of me."

She stopped short, fearing that if she continued she would ruin her perfectly applied make up that Yuffie and Selphie had practically waged war over.

Yet, she knew the place she unintentionally left on his heart. If he hadn't met Yuffie, this whole process would probably be much harder on him. She hated even the possible idea of his suffering.

Riku could understand her thoughts and just shook his head silently, smiling. He then turned to Sora and put Kairi's hand in his, passing her along.

"You better take care of her." He said in a mock threatening tone, the smile on his face indicating no harsh meaning whatsoever.

"Haven't we always?" Sora offered lightly, not feeling so afraid anymore as Kairi's warm hand lit up his heart.

Riku kept the smile on his face as he stepped aside and took the familiar place at Sora's side.

Namine smiled next to Kairi's, and caught a blushing glance toward Roxas who stood right behind Riku. He stood happily in Sora's line up, and hadn't really cared that he wasn't best man. He just happy to be there at all. He was thinking of the new life ahead for him and Namine too. It was going to be brighter than the past. It was going to be amazing since they both had been granted a clean start.

All Namine could think about was how handsome he looked in his tuxedo. She decided she was going to draw a picture later.

The sea of smiling guests all looked toward the couple, but all they could see was each other.

Sora was waiting quietly for King Mickey to start the typical motions of the wedding vows so that he could just continue looking at Kairi, memorizing how beautiful she was at this time and planning out the best ways to preserve her happiness in the future.

But to his surprise, the King made a motion to Kairi, and she pulled out a folded up piece of paper from the inside of her bouquet. This was not something he knew of in the wedding plan.

The King smiled and said to the guests, "The bride and groom are now going to recite their own vows."

Sora's spikes stood on end and his blue eyes widened. This was not something he knew about. They were supposed to write their own vows! Had Kairi mentioned it to him and he had just forgotten? Sora was panicking inside.

Sure, there were a million things he could say about Kairi. There were plenty of words in his heart that he could bring forth. But also being male, and about to get married, he found himself with the incapability of being able say anything.

Kairi just giggled softly and whispered, "I wanted it to be a surprise. Don't worry. I just thought this way it would be much easier, and it won't take a million words."

Sora still felt horrible. Did she expect him to come up with something on the spot? That would never do her justice. He just sent her a panicked glance with his eyes telling her to start.

She nodded and received the message, intending to start anyway.

"Kairi?" the King encouraged, secretly in on her surprise.

She breathed in and began, holding the piece of paper in front of her, but not even needing it since she had memorized this particular oath by heart.

"I'm always thinking of you, wherever you are," she began softly, looking deeply at him.

The panic ceased in Sora's mind and his ears picked up the familiarity of her words. He knew them. They were-

"We pray for our sorrows to end," she continued.

That was her letter! The oath the two of them had made to return to each other no matter the journey. Her message of light that had brought him and Riku back from the realm of darkness.

"-and hope that our hearts will blend." Sora let out instinctively by accident. He bit his lip quickly and blushed in embarrassment, not believing he had just interrupted Kairi's vows.

But then he heard Riku snicker, so apparently he was in on something.

Then he saw that Kairi was only looking at him with pleasure, with eyes urging him to continue.

So this was the surprise? It was perfect. He thought fondly that Kairi was a genius. There could be no more special of a vow between them then the promise she had written to him so many years back. Those words meant more to them than anything else that they could ever come up with. They didn't need any other words. A page full of light would be promise enough to seal their devotions.

Little did he know that he had been so fascinated with her own use of symbolism that he had forgotten to say the next line of the letter.

Kairi gently continued for him.

"And now I will step forward to realize this wish," she encouraged, urging him to complete their oath.

"And who knows," Sora echoed in response, "starting a new journey may not be so hard."

Kairi's lit up even more.

"Or maybe it's already begun."

"There are many worlds," Sora said.

"But they share the same sky." Kairi smiled.

"One sky," Sora said, seeing how bright the sunset was behind them.

"One destiny," Kairi finished, knowing this is what was meant to be. Sora then put the beautiful diamond ring on her finger, and it was now official.

They didn't even need to say, "I do." They both knew the promise those words entitled. To start this new journey together and to blend their hearts together until the end of it, no matter how hard it got.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," King Mickey said in finalization with a smile. "You may now kiss the bride."

Sora's sky blue eyes lit up devilishly and he lunged toward Kairi, grabbing her and sweeping her off her feet as he dipped her for a deep kiss. She giggled and through her arms around his neck to indulge in the moment against the background applause of the guests.

As they shared their first married kiss, the waves of the ocean crashed once again for them.

A flock of doves magically were released above them, baptizing the sky in white.

The soft piano instrumental Aerith played turned crescendo and became louder, serenading Kairi and Sora's moment.

Everyone applauded, many cried at being in the presence of true love **(including Tifa), **and as the sun set on the island with the reception about to begin, the day could never have turned out so perfectly.

But then again, Kairi and Sora rightfully deserved it.

_**Yay! They finally got married! But don't think it stops here! And we still have the reception to go to! Lol so break out your party hats everyone and get ready for cake in your face XD **_

_**Leave in a review what you think the song to their first dance is going to be!**_

_**And dozens of virtual cookies for any one who name one point of symbolism from Kingdom Hearts that I've used in their wedding story so far^^ I make it really easy to answer this one. **_

_**Please keep reviewing! The wedding is almost over! But the rest of their lives are yet to begin **___

_**-The proudly active,**_

_**Tasia'sEndlessDreams…**_


	6. Bride

After the ceremony, the sun began to set and the reception was about to begin. It was also outside, so the party was practically luau style, and promised to be amazing.

The beach was lit up with magic tiki torches, ones that wouldn't be able to go out with out extreme magic. A band and DJ station were set up on the stage with the grand piano, and music blared as all the guests danced. The alter and seating aisles had been replaced with tables, with navy blue and light pink lily centerpieces, which guests were seated at enjoying the widespread buffet Yuffie had arranged.

If there was any way for people to be brought together, it was good food, and Yuffie's exotic spread was accomplishing just that. She had collected particular recipes from all the different worlds, finding their star dishes, and had given them to several friends of Belle **(Cogsworth, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts)** who took over there preparation. Apparently they were quite experienced at serving an appetizing display. And though singing and dancing inanimate objects were no longer part of their presentation, they still made wonderful caterers.

Everything and anything was laid out on that table. Barbecue, rotisserie, Arabian dishes** (Agrabah)**, Chinese** (Land of Dragons)**, Greek Dishes** (Olympic Coliseum)**; there were some wonderful seafood recipes that Ariel had lent them, and for vegetarian enthusiasts there was even a large selection of exotic fruits and vegetables that grew around the islands. There was a never ending dessert bar, which Snow White and Cinderella had personally helped over see **(after several years of forced domestic labor, the girls knew a thing or two about being sweet in a kitchen). **

And the wedding cake was the ultimate spectacle. It was a six-tiered triple chocolate marble cake covered in pure white butter cream frosting. Lace designs in the frosting encircled the cake along with dozens of pink and light blue marzipan lilies making rounds on the outskirts of each layer.

A mini replica of Sora and Kairi was placed on top. The scene was them standing side by side, each holding the same paopu fruit. It looked so beautiful, Yuffie almost refused to let anyone eat it before Riku had to talk her into her senses.

When the time had come for the couple's first dance, the lively music was retaken over by Aerith's beautiful piano playing. It was the same melody that had been played at the ceremony, but this time it was going to have some accompaniment.

Aerith started playing the beginning instrumental, and at the head microphone, a figure stood in a frilly white and navy dress, ready to sing. Sora and Kairi had taken their places out on the dance floor, and then **Yuna** took hold of the mic, smiled, and gave an introduction to her song.

Yuna you ask?

An interesting occurrence actually.

The Gullwings were still stationed in Radiant Gardens when Sora and Kairi had come seeking help for Namine and Roxas. Since the fairies were good at "finding" things, they were immediately enlisted in the search parties to locate the missing items for Yen Sid's spell.

During casual meetings, Sora had become better friends with the fairies and exchanged friendly conversation between them. Most stories were about the Islands that he called home, since Sora never could stop bragging about their splendor. He would use words like, "sapphire waves" and "pearl lined shores" to describe them.

As pretty as the words were, a certain pixie like Rikku took them literally. His details were enough to get the fairies intrigued and the blonde had convinced her other friends to investigate this place for themselves.

Since the permission to enter the boundaries of other worlds was still in place by the King, the fairies had stowed away on Sora's ship when the group was all heading back to the Islands to complete the wedding plans. They decided now would be a good of time as any to see if Sora's world had any rare treasures.

Much to Rikku's disappointment **(and Paine's logical assumptions),** the sea was _not actually_ floating with rare blue diamonds, and the beaches were _not actually_ littered with the sand irritated spawn of oysters. None the less, it was still a very nice place, so the fairies told Sora **(much to his chagrin)** that they would be hanging around for a while on a little Gullwings vacation. It would be only be fitting after all the hard work they did in helping Namine and Roxas.

And though Rikku and Paine didn't find anything of particular rare value on the island, their leader Yuna found the islands incredibly enchanting. She was in love with them on sight, possibly because it reminded her of her own home world. It was a little island itself called Besaid, which had unfortunately been lost to the darkness during the fall of Kingdom Hearts and hadn't been able to be restored. After that she had met up with Rikku and Paine, her fellow pixies, as Maleficent had formed then together for treasure hunting and her own nefarious purpose. And even though she had a place in Radiant Gardens now, deep inside she had always missed her home.

But the island setting wasn't the only thing she loved about Destiny Islands. There was the residents too, particularly a certain child hood friend of Sora's, Tidus.

Tidus had grown up quite nicely, and once his growth spurt had kicked in he was actually very tall and athletic. This helped him to get scouted for several of the major sports teams circling the islands, and he was being given offers left and right. Yuna had seen him practicing one day with Wakka on the beach, and it had all been history from there.

He was cute and strong and she wanted him badly. She started off merely watching him for a while, but she decided she didn't even have a chance at her current state. She had then gone to Donald, who had accompanied Sora along with Goofy to his island to help him out **(before the worlds had to be closed again)**, and bravely requested for him to help her with her size issue.

He refused at first, still not trusting the fairies, but then he endured constant pestering from the less polite of the three **(Rikku and Paine)** when they found out this was something their leader really wanted. Even Sora helped in trying to convince Donald.

He thought it was cute that Yuna had crush on one of his long time friends. And in fact, the situation strangely reminded him of the romance his friend Ariel had gone through. Feeling such strong affection for some one who seemed completely worlds apart from you.

Finally Donald consented, and Yuna was transformed into ten times her normal size. Not only did her height magnify, but her beauty did as well. All it took was an introduction from Sora between the two on the beach one-day.

"_Tidus, this is my friend Yuna." _

_Tidus just stood there, gazing at the brunette with multi-colored eyes. _

"_It's nice to meet you Tidus." She said with a gentle and polite smile. "Sora told me all about you." _

_The blitz ball dropped from his hand as he watched her long braid flow in the wind, stuttering to introduce himself. _

"_She's going to be here awhile on vacation. I wanted to give her a tour of islands, but since Kairi and I are __**so**__ busy with the wedding plans, I don't think I'll be able to." An impish grin was spread across Sora's face as he saw his friend's starstruck expression. "I was wondering if __**you**__ would help me out and show her around."_

_Tidus' eyes wandered from Yuna's blushing cheeks to the short lavender blue skirt that was flowing against her legs. Something about her made it hard for him to look away. _

"I'd be really grateful." Yuna giggled softly.

"Sure. I'd love to." Tidus finally managed to let out.

_Sora knew it was mission accomplished as he had walked away, leaving the two to get to know one another better. . _

Tidus had escorted Yuna for the entire spring. They went all over the islands and he showed her all the most romantic and beautiful settings. They went swimming, boating, sunset watching; she would sit on the beach in person and marvel quietly as he would play volley ball with Wakka and every one else. She was present at every single one of his games during the season, and another blossoming talent of hers became discovered.

Apparently Yuna was a wonderful singer. Her voice seemed to have an almost magical property about it.

The couple had gone to several kareoke bars with the others for fun during the night to get away from the plans of the day, and Yuna had out shined them all with ease. Then one day the pre-show act to one of Tidus' games had gotten canceled, and Tidus daringly encouraged them to put a mic in Yuna's hand and have her fill in. They were desperate enough to allow it. She was a hit, became a regular during the season, and coincidentally became scouted by a big time talent agency from the main island.

They sought her out, and before she knew it, she began to go through the process of recording a demo. Companies were raving about her voice and beauty and it was highly seen in her future that she could become signed.

Sora jokingly said that if she **did** become famous, he wanted to take some of the credit. But she immediately gave it to him without fail. If he hadn't helped her, none of it would have become possible. Especially meeting Tidus.

The two had become inseparable, and even though they had only been together for months, the romance seemed hard and long lasting. Everyone seeing them would think they had known each other for years, but it may have been they were just a possible example of couples who were meant to be from the start.

Sometimes you got whirlwind lovers who became destined from first touch, and recognized it right away. But then their were others who took more time to progressively realize it, perhaps Sora and Kairi had been one of those.

Maybe it had also been Yuna's magical pull that made her so irresistible. Tidus knew there was something otherworldly about her, since there usually always was when it came to most of Sora's friends. But as to the origin of her previous state, he was still in the dark. Yuna had decided that would be an interesting detail to her story for a rainy day farther down the road.

Yuna had reached a decision that after the wedding, she was going to stay on Destiny Islands. She was really happy here with Tidus. She too was moving onto new things in her life and was stepping onto a new star to fulfill them.

Rikku and Paine were all right with this. The Gullwings would be soul sisters forever, but physically existing forever was out of the question. They had just made sure that Tidus was aware that if any harm or unhappiness befell their leader in any way, he would end up awaking to a very painful sunrise.

Perhaps another reason to encourage Yuna to stay came from the fact that during the time that Sora and Kairi's big day had arrived, there was already a shiny engagement ring sparkling on her finger.

"Sora and Kairi asked if I would sing at their wedding, so of course I accepted." Yuna began softly, smiling at the couple.

" As a past friend of Sora's, I can certainly say I owe them many favors, as do I'm sure most of you here do as well."

The guest all looked at each, and then at the couple, smiling themselves at the fact that even though they may exist on different worlds, the Light of these two gave them common ground.

"But to do this is an honor and a joy." Yuna continued. " I had been asked to perform the song that they take their first steps together in. Their first steps in a brand new world. So I had to something special."

The piano began to increase as her speech continued. It seemed as if this was her version of a toast. This philosophy was imperative for Yuna's audience. She was trying to connect with them the true meaning of the song she had worked so hard at.

" After years of darkness we're all taking new steps in this world as of right now. Some with our bonds," she glanced at Sora and Kairi, acknowledging the higher step they had just taken in their relationship.

"Some with our lives," she smiled at Roxas and Namine, as they were literally entering a new chapter of existence.

" -and some with our hearts." She glanced fondly at Riku and Yuffie, at most of the couples whom she had just become acquainted with, and at her own romantic claim, Tidus. He winked in her direction, she blushed heavily and continued.

"The slate is being wiped clean, and as of this moment there is only light so far to look forward to. I wrote this song for Sora and Kairi, and for anyone else's world who is getting a simple and clean start."

The beginning of the song finally began to play, and Sora and Kairi took their place out on the dance floor. Kairi floating like an angel in her lacey dress, Sora beaming with pride.

"I now present to you," Yuna said with a radiant smile to the audience. " Sora's and Kairi's first dance as man and wife."

Yuna then began to sing, and it was with so much emotion and skill, that it became clear why she was a small step away from fame. Her lyrics and Aerith's melody created a world around them all, something that seemed all too familiar.

"…**When you walk away  
You don't hear me say please  
Oh baby, don't go  
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight  
It's hard to let it go…"  
**

Kairi put her hands in Sora's and he started right off by twirling her around the floor.

The end of her dress train had been attached to a band on her wrist, and flowed magically around her as she giggled. The two had taken some formal ball room lessons from Belle and the Beast **(turned Prince), **so they had a vague idea of what they were doing as they waltzed around the floor.

Sora gazed passionately at Kairi as they began with a simple waltz step. He felt as if he could associate the song with the fairytale that had become him and Kairi's life.

**"You're giving me too many things..."**

So many challenges had come between them.

"_**Lately, you're all I need…"  
**_

She was everything he could ever want.

"You smiled at me and said,"

God, how he lived to bring that exact shining smile on her face.

"**Don't get me wrong I love you  
But does that mean I have to meet your father?  
When we are older you'll understand.."**

Would they ever understand their past or their future completely? They had been so young, so much responsibility thrown on them. Was age really always the answer?

"_**What I meant when I said 'No',  
I don't think life is quite that simple…" **_

Life wasn't simple. Their lives would never be truly simple. Maybe their happiness was simplicity, but the real world was not. That was all right. If he couldn't fight for it, then it wouldn't be worth it.

"_**When you walk away  
You don't hear me say please  
Oh baby, don't go**_…"

He would never walk away from her again. He would keep his promise. He twirled Kairi again, pulling her into a low dip.

"_**Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight  
It's hard to let it go…" **_

He could feel his grip on her waist increasing. He would never let her go. Never again. He felt so pure with her in his arms. Was it really all this simple?

Kairi graced Sora with her beautiful smile again, and ran a hand over his cheek as he pulled her up slowly from the dip. She then put her arms around his neck and the two swayed comfortably for a few measures.

"_The daily things _ That keep us all busy…"

How had Kairi survived on the island during his disappearance all those years ago? What had she possibly done that bided her time, to make her forget what it was like to be in his arms?

**"Are confusing me…"**

She couldn't remember. She didn't want to. No other reality could exist again except for this one. _**  
**_

"**That's when you came to me and said,"  
Wish I could prove I love you…"**

She knew Sora felt like what he did for her was never enough, but he never even had to say 'I love you.' She knew his feelings by heart already. She leaned her head comfortably in the crook of his neck.

"**But does that mean I have to walk on water…"**

He had battled the worlds and the darkness just to see her. He had given up his own heart to complete hers.

**"When we are older you'll understand…"**

She hoped he knew now, after all this time, that all he had to do was hold her. "It's enough when I say so…"

Not even that. All she needed was the beat of his heart to reassure her.

"_**And maybe some things are that simple…" **_

Even if the world was chaos around them, and a time of peace did cease, this was the easiest thing she could understand.

"When you walk away…"

After all the times he had left her…

_**"You don't hear me say please  
Oh baby, don't go…"**_

Never once would she look back in regret as he turned away.

Because she knew he would always come back.

" Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight…"

Her faith was as simple as that.

**"It's hard to let it go…" **

They would always come back to each other. She would never let go of that belief.

"**Hold me..."**

She wrapped her arms around his neck more tightly and gave him a playful smile. He smiled back, and got into a dramatic dance position with her, the two of them spinning like a tornado gracefully and recklessly across the ocean side dance floor.

_**"Whatever lies beyond this morning  
Is a little later on  
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all  
Nothing's like before…" **_

As they spun they both laughed, having the time of their lives, knowing to relish this moment for all it was worth. They would need it in their unseen future.

_****_Yuna picked up the emotion, serenading their moment, and guests clapped as the couple gave a big finish, with Kairi bent in a tango like fashion in Sora's arms. Both parties deserved numerous amounts of praise.

Yuna bowed at the microphone, thanking everyone and Sora and Kairi. Then, the song started to play again, but it took a dramatic twist.

To everyone's surprise, a life size Rikku appeared behind the DJ station on the stage in a bright orange cocktail dress and called out to the guests. **(Donald had been able to perform a very short lived version of Yuna's spell on the other two pixies, giving them a fully sized human physique to celebrate with for just the night. It was a variation of a spell he had picked up from Cinderella's fairy godmother, thought the strict midnight rule wasn't applied)**

"Now that the love fest is over, how about we give you a version you _all _can dance to!"

Yuna laughed and gave a nod, as if a signal for something to begin.

Lights shone brightly on the stage, the torches flared on the dark beach. An also full sized Paine, held an electric guitar, and Aerith's baby grand had been traded in for a deluxe keyboard.

"Hit it guys!" Rikku called, and revved up the turn tables, creating an exciting and danceable version of Yuna's masterpiece. Paine heatedly played on the guitar and Yuna sang again, this time hyped with more performance gusto. Aerith kept up the melody expertly.

Every one cheered and joined the newlyweds out on the dance floor. The reception was becoming an immediate success.

At a far corner of the dance floor, Yuffie stood grinning madly with Riku, admiring her work.

"Do I through an amazing shin dig or what?" Yuffie gloated, pumping a fist up in air for victory while shaking her hips to the music.

Riku just laughed and put his arms around Yuffie's neck as she rocked to the beat of her own success.

"You're right, the parties awesome. I'm officially amazed. It turned out more perfect than we expected, and Sora and Kairi seem happy. "

She through him a defiant look and messed up his platinum hair.

"Well of course they are." Yuffie snorted in pride. "What's up Pretty Boy? Did you doubt I could do all this?"

"Not at all," Riku said smirking and shook his head, spinning her against her will. "Though we were all a little concerned for your sanity for a while." He joked.

She came back around spinning and punched him playfully in the shoulder, like she usually did.

"Hey!" she protested. "My obsession spawned a master piece! You should be bowing to me. I'm not just the most amazing ninja ever, I'm also the Party Queen!"

She flipped her hair and stood with her hands on her hips, as if she expected him to get down on bended knee.

He laughed again, merely sweeping her away and dipping her suavely.

"You're right. I submit to your talent, Your Highness." He joked with a smoldering grin.

"Damn straight." She commanded with an impish smirk, and with that, laying one on him like she usually did.

She sighed once she finally stopped kissing him and just leaned against his frame.

"But ya know," she said, putting her hands behind her head. "As awesome as I am this was still way too much work."

She breathed out tiredly in relief. "I'm kinda glad all this is over. I better be having boys, cuz really I don't think I can do a repeat performance. I mean girls are great and all but if so the groom's family is on their own because I'm not doing this again-"

Riku spun her to meet his eyes quickly, sharply processing what she had just said.

"What did you just say?" he questioned rhetorically, making sure he had her right.

Yuffie merely smiled slyly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm not doing this again?" she teased, knowing the answer he wanted.

"Yuffie stop playing," Riku said, his eyes burning in anxiousness. "Are you serious?"

She laughed and whispered, "Surprise."

Knowing full well that was his answer, Riku swept Yuffie off her feet and for the first time ever instigated the next heated round of kisses. There was so much excitement between them, Riku didn't even notice nor care that this completely qualified as an act of PDA that was usually against his nature.

_**I really love the reception^^ yay for abundant Yuffie and Riku smooches! So if you OBVIOUSLY couldn't tell by now, Yuffie and Riku are expecting. I wonder what kinda handsome little devils they're going to turn out to be….OH NO! I've already said too much XD**_

_**And yes I DID bring back Yuna and make them a couple because its imperative to the future. Trust me. I just adore them together too. And I think the islands need a few new celebrities XD**_

_**Oh, and yes the song WAS Simple and Clean and it OBVIOUSLY belongs to the amazing Utada Hikaru and I OBVIOUSLY don't truly own it. I just wanted to use it in a KH context because I believe the song can imperatively influence the story as the first stage of their romance. Yuna was my tool to do that. I was going to use Sanctuary actually…but I ended up using it for something else in the future. Bet you can't wait to find out what that is XP **_

_**So anyway we've got about one more chapter and then the next story (ReAwakened) will be underway^^ be on the look out. You guys have been amazing inspiration for me. I've gotten so much more traffic then I thought I would!**_

_**And please check out my other KH story Shimmering Darkness. Lol it needs a bit more support XP **_

_**Thanks a bunch!**_

_**The slightly stagnant updater…**_

_**-TASIA'SENDLESSDREAMS…**_


	7. Message to the Future

________

I apologize incredibly. The document uploader screwed around with my bolds and italics and underlining...so please follow along as best you can.

* * *

After the toasts had been held** (a slurred sentiment of certain Captain Jack Sparrow being the most entertaining)**, the cake shoved into Kairi and Sora's faces **(as Yuffie wept its destruction**), and the bouquet had been thrown **(which Selphie had practically clawed eyes out to retrieve)**; everyone was finishing up the night dancing and polishing off the buffet.

Kairi had then taken this opportunity to drag Sora off on a walk, just the two of them. She was ready to show him her second surprise of the night.

**The two walked arm in arm against the moonlit beach, laughing about the events of the day, exchanging kisses in between snickers.**

**"I feel so bad for Alice," Sora laughed. "Selphie practically pile drove her into the ground when she was inches away from that bouquet."**

**Kairi sighed and shook her head. "Selphie was always the romantic type, but I didn't think she believed THAT heavily in all the old rituals. Maybe she just has spring bride fever."**

**Sora shrugged and grinned. "I guess she's seeing everyone else getting hitched and wants a piece of it herself."**

**"You should have seen her at my bachelorette party," Kairi said as she stopped and giggled, hugging his arm. "She was drowning herself in cosmopolitans and dancing with every stranger that came within 3 feet of her. She got so bad she even tried proposing to the DJ. Good thing I was able to bring her home. I didn't have a drop and it was _my _party."**

**Sora and Kairi had a laughing fit.**

**"Well I'm sure we'd make anyone jealous." Sora joked with a smirk, running a hand through his spikes. "We're the perfect couple. I think you picked a good one Kairi."**

**Kairi shoved his arm playfully. "You're so full of yourself! And anyway, I don't think she's going to stay single for long, did you see the way that Wakka has been looking at her all night?"**

**"Tonight?" Sora scoffed slightly. "Kairi, I know the way Wakka's been looking at Selphie for the past five years."**

**Kairi's eyes widened, surprised that this piece of information had slipped past her knowledge in her tight circle of friends. She thought she had known everything about all of them, or would at least have been able to tell when something like this came about.**

**"No way! He likes her? I thought he had just always thought of her as a little sister or something. He played the big brother role with me and you." Kairi exclaimed.**

**Sora just shrugged. "Well I guess when she got rid of the overall dress and stepped into a high school uniform, Wakka was finally able to see the light."**

**Kairi smiled wildly, she loved the idea of being able to play matchmaker for a friend who considered herself cupid incarnate.**

**"We should hook them up!" Kairi said excitedly, hugging his arm tighter. "How amazing would that be if practically all of our best friends ended up with each other."**

**"Well judging from your story, I don't think it would be that hard." Sora said with an impish grin. "All we'd need to do is buy her a few rounds and tell Yuna to keep it going with that awesome song of hers."**

**Kairi laughed giddily for the umpteempth time. "Well then I think it's all covered. Selphie has been taking a liking to the margaritas tonight, and I don't think Yuna will stop performing until later. That gives them plenty of time."**

**"Selphie's been practically glued to the bar all night after our dance," Sora joined in, keeping it hard to contain himself. "Wakka will probably have to pry her out to the dance floor."**

**They both held onto each other for support from the heavy chuckling that they couldn't help sustaining with the image of a drunken grumbling Selphie in their heads.**

**Meanwhile-**

**(Bars side back at the reception)**

**_Selphie was drowning herself in her 4th margarita, exercising her newly found 21-year-old status._**

**_Her alcohol consumption since the catching of the bouquet could have rivaled that of even Jack Sparrow, and the important prize was lying abandoned on the barstool next to her. She watched the couples out on the dance floor, swaying under the stars and enraptured in each other's arms to a slow song, with seething envy._**

**_"Ugh, I am going to die alone!"_**

**_She groaned and through her head into her arms which were folded on the counter. A stray hair of her perfect, impractical flip up stuck straight out of place. She noticed it in her glass' reflection, and thought this was a perfect excuse to order another drink to remedy the situation._**

**_"Keep it coming!" she slurred out to the bartender, not even lifting her head. "This time make it a vodka tonic."_**

**_The bartender stared at the disgruntled bride's maid and shook her head._**

**_"Geez girl," she commented, hand on her hip. "Don't you think you've had enough. I know it's a party and all but-"_**

**_Selphie jerking up her head, releasing an animalistic growl and shooting hell fire from her eyes then silenced the bartender._**

**_"Okay! Okay! Jesus! I'll get the frickin drink!" the bartender cried, hands up and searching for safety at the other end of the bar._**

**_Once she was out of sight, Selphie sighed again and finished off her 4th margarita in one sip, even though it had still been half way full. She scowled at the dance-floor, noticing Riku and Yuffie locked in a heated kiss, and then Namine and Roxas comfortably in each other's arms, and all the other wonderful pairs gathered from worlds across to come to the wedding._**

**_She played with her straw miserably, running patterns in the leftover salt on her glass' rim._**

**_"They can all go die in a whole. Sora and Kairi especially. Damn my life sucks." She spat in hardly logical contempt. "I plan Kairi's damn wedding, put on this damn dress, make my self look damn good, and all I'm gonna get out of it is a hangover in the next 12 hours. I need another drink."_**

**_She grumbled this just as the frightened bartender sat down the girl's previously ordered vodka tonic._**

**_She picked it up and in mid sip, a familiar voice called out to her attention from behind her._**

**_"Um, hey Selphie..." a heavily accented redhead said awkwardly._**

**_Selphie's heart sank as she knew it was only her childhood best friend, and not a mysteriously, romantic prince come to dance her away from her bar side woes._**

**_"Hey Wakka," Selphie sulked, in the middle of trying to enjoy her drink._**

**_"This is a pretty great party, ya?" Wakka threw out, trying to compliment her and Yuffie's hard work. "You guys really did a great job."_**

**_"Oh yeah, let me tell ya..." Selphie moped, not even turning around, swishing her beverage around for amusement. "It's the friggin wedding of the century, and Kairi's pampered princess backside owes me big time."_**

**_She then consumed another swig for her misery._**

**_Wakka put his hand behind his head nervously, trying to think of ways to turn the conversation in a more positive direction. His nerves were running thin and he was threatened with retreat if Selphie's mood didn't improve soon._**

**_His saving grace came from a tempo change. The slow song from before was replaced with a fast one, and everyone cheered and danced to the beat once more._**

**_"So um, this is a pretty good song, ya?" he began, trying to be brave._**

**_"Mmhmm."_**

**_Selphie barely responded through her blurry and glaring vision at the dance floor in front of her._**

**_"I was...thinking of hitting the dance floor soon..." he hinted._**

**_"You and everyone else, Skippy." Selphie commented bitterly, finishing off her 1st tonic in one last sip._**

**_She wasn't purposely trying to brush Wakka off; on the contrary, she really did enjoy talking to him on most cases. It was just right now she was so sick of floating on single's island and so overcome by alcohol, she wasn't really worried about being sympathetic right now._**

_______****_

_If only someone, ______anyone, would just ask her to-_

"Did you want to dance?"

The furious cogs in Selphie's drunken head suddenly froze, and her drink fell out of her hand as she turned her head slowly. She faced Wakka head on for the first time since the beginning of their conversation.

"What did you just say?" she asked blankly, just trying to register his request in her mind.

Wakka blushed and put a hand behind his head again. He was taking Selphie's confused stare and hanging silence as an invitation to explain himself.

"Well I mean...its a great song...and everyone's having a great time out there. I just thought you might want to, ya know...I mean since you haven't really danced that much tonight...NOT that I was watching you or anything! It's just I'm sure you wanna have some fun too, ya know? And I was thinking-"

As he rambled and tried to cover for himself, Selphie just tuned him out and examined him dumbfounded.

He really did look nice tonight. When he spruced up and lost the volleyball he was a pretty handsome guy. _Tall_. _Dark_. _Handsome_. Selphie had always had a thing for the typical tall, dark and handsome. And maybe it was the booze talking, but had that island accent of his always been

_this attractive? How could she have overlooked these things? Maybe it was most definitely the booze. But did he just ask her to dance? __Her...__the__ little brunette with the jump rope whom he had watched like a little sister for all these years. Though they were only a year apart...was that coconuts she smelled? Was that him? It was slightly intoxicating... More so than she already was..._

______________________________

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________________

________

________________

_______****_________________

"-and you look pretty great tonight too. I mean not that you usually don't look good, I mean you look great all the time I guess. But ya know, with the whole bride's maid thing, it works on ya, ya know...with the dress and everything...and I guess you might want to the use the dress, ya know...with a dance or something...So I was just thinking that if you wanted to-"

That was enough for Selphie. She just wanted him to shut up. She took the initiative herself.

Without even having time to blink, in mid ramble, Wakka found himself with Selphie's well manicured hands prying his face towards hers and giving him an earth shattering kiss that lasted at LEAST sixty seconds. With his breath gone, his hair a mess, lipstick all over his face, and his tongue promptly tied; Selphie wiped the lipstick off her face, fixed her hair and drug Wakka by the arm away from the bar.

"You. Me. Dancing. Let's go." she commanded, moving every curve of dress as she walked determinedly to finally join the crowded dance floor.

"Y-Yes Ma'am-" was all Wakka could muster as he was hauled off with shock, his eyes still continuously spinning.

* * *

As the two walked onward Sora became more and more curious.

They kept going along the tranquil side of the beach until Sora began to recognize the scenery. Kairi was leading him through the area where he had taken her to have their first kiss. Blissful memories passed him by and he held her hand tighter as he thought of them. Then, they halted to a complete stop, and Sora saw that they were on the important islet of their past. The one with the bent paopu tree where not so long ago, they had dreamt blissfully about their unseen futures.

"So why are we out here anyway?" Sora asked, sneaking another peck on Kairi's irresistible lips. "You took me out here for something. I know you. What's going on in that pretty curled head of yours?"

He went back to kiss her again, but she turned her face coyly with a giggle so he hit her cheek instead.

She then bent down and whispered in his ear.

"I have a surprise for you."

"Another one, huh?" he joked, remembering everything that had previously surprised him already. Especially her scheme with the wedding vows. Kairi was turning out to be some kind of jack-in-the-box bride, even if the surprises were all with good intent. "You're just full of them today, aren't you?"

She merely smiled and said. "Well, I cant have you getting bored of me yet, now can I?"

He just shook his head and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"That is completely impossible. Now tell me what the surprise is." He asked eagerly.

She giggled again.

"Haha, fine then. But first, you have to close your eyes."

He gave her a timeless playful grin, and immediately wrapped his hands tightly around his eyes, creating make shift blinders for himself.

"Like this?" he questioned.

Kairi gave a moment to appreciate the sparkle he always put in her eyes as she confirmed him.

"Yes, just like that." She said, finding it hard to hold back another laughing fit. She then turned around to go retrieve her surprise. "Now you wait right there. I'll be right back!"

Sora sighed. "Ah! You mean I have to wait too?"

"Yes," Kairi commanded teasingly, a hand on her hip waving an accusing finger at him. "And no peeking! I mean it Mister!"

He parted his fingers slightly, just to be funny.

"No peeking Sora!" Kairi protested.

He closed them again, smile spreading even wider.

"Yes Ma'am!" he agreed submissively.

He could here her laugh and then the soft pad of her small feet and rustle of her flowing dress against the sand as she went off to retrieve whatever it was she was torturing him with.

Several scenarios ran through Sora's mind, a couple being slightly mischievous, and he blushed at Kairi possibly being so devious.

'_She wouldn't…no…not here…' _he thoughts talking on an embarrassed scarlet tone. _'Not that I'd care…its just…Ah! I wish she'd tell me already!'_

His raging thoughts were silenced when a set of shiny, pink, soft lips met his and he lost track of what he was thinking all together.

"Miss me?" she giggled in a soft voice.

"More than you know." He said with a smile, going into kiss her again, still not opening his eyes. "You know I think I like this surprise so far."

"Well…" she said mischievously, "We could just keep doing this if you wanted…OR…I could show you the real surprise."

She then kissed him again, making him whine.

"You mean I have to choose?" he pouted, knowing now that Kairi really _was_ devious.

"Oh relax." She laughed at the childish tone of his voice. "There's going to be more where this came from later. Trust me."

She gave him one more kiss. Just at the base of his jaw line. He didn't really have enough breath to whine anymore.

"Um…okay…" he staggered. "Can I at least open my eyes now?"

"Go ahead," Kairi said excitedly.

Sora finally opened his sky blue eyes, and was met with the beautiful vision of Kairi, but now seeing she had several rolled pieces of paper in one hand, and an empty glass bottle in the other. He became completely confused.

"Um…" Sora questioned blankly.

"I can see your confusion." Kairi smiled sympathetically, putting the pieces of paper in his hands.

He stared over the pages, gazing at the written words. They all seemed familiar. Some messages were things he had seen before. Some were events they had experienced. On the first and last pages were words of wisdom, as if to guide some outside reader on a quest of there own.

He took a minute of silence to read the entire thing. It was like some one had told his entire story, the more important parts at least. The most important lessons he had learned were tucked within the pages. That his friends and his strong heart were his greatest source of power. That every heart is capable of a strong light, but also a strong darkness. That darkness does not always equal evil. And that the shadows of the past can be the greatest insight into the future.

"Kai, what is all this?" he asked finally, memorizing every word

"I wrote another letter Sora." Kairi said proudly, putting her hand over his as it gripped the pages. "I've been working on it for awhile now, and I wanted to share it with you. I think its something special we can do together."

"Well, who is it for?" he asked smiling, his free hand stroking the side of her face.

"Its for anyone," she said profoundly, closing her eyes comfortably as he caressed her cheek. "It's for anyone who needs it. Anyone who may come across it and read it."

She melted his soul as she then stared at him with her violet blue eyes.

"I was thinking about our vows Sora, and about the letter I wrote for you back then. I had written a letter to some one I couldn't even remember…but I knew it was for some one who needed it. The chances that it got to you are one in a million, but in the end, it got to the person who was meant to read it. That's why, as this journey comes to a close…or begins for us…I felt like I had to write another letter. For some one who may need it."

She took the pages gingerly out of his hands and held them against her chest and she cradled against him.

"Everything is so perfect now Sora," she whispered blissfully, causing him to wrap his arms tightly around her delicate shoulders. "We worked so hard, learned so much, and the world is finally peaceful now. But…I doubt it will stay that way forever."

But she then turned her head to the endless starry sky beside them excitedly. Her tone captivated him and inspired him so much; he had no trouble remembering why he had asked her to marry him.

"But maybe that's the beauty of thing." She said starry eyed. " Nothing's like before. The future isn't something to be afraid of, it's something to face head on."

She returned the favor in gently stroking his face. "I am so happy to face this new adventure with you. Its because of you, because we have each other, that I know now that we can face anything, with out a doubt! I just want to share this message with some one else. Even if something happens again, or even if doesn't, these are words we can give to some one in the future who can use them as much as we have. We sat here Sora, and when we asked about our futures, the answer came to us. Some one else, somewhere is going to do that same thing. And I just know, that in the near or far future, this letter will be the answer."

Sora couldn't stand it, he leaned in and kissed her so deeply, right then right there, that she had a hard time breathing afterward.

She gripped the letter and tried to remember her name, staring at him happily and yet slightly disoriented.

"What was that for?" she questioned blissfully.

"Because you just keep adding onto the reasons why I will forever love you so much." He said with a goofy grin. "I'm glad you're sharing this with me. You're right. You're absolutely right. We need to send this out, and help make sure that the next person who has to face something like we did, is prepared."

"Will you help me do the honors then?" she said with a wide smile, holding out the bottle with the now safely corked message in it for him to grab a hold of too.

"With pleasure," he said matching her grin. His hand wrapped tightly around her small one and they both hung onto the bottle. Then, with as much force as they muster, through it off the their little islet and out into the water, where it would face the mercy of fate, time, and the sea to deliver its important message.

They then stared at each other in silence for a minute. The festivities of the reception on the other side could be heard faintly, and the music caressed softly against their ears as it was carried by the breeze.

Suddenly, there song could be heard playing again, and a mutual feeling of sympathy for Yuna could be felt between them, since the poor girl had been requested to perform both versions of the song several times during the night.

He stepped toward her, and held out his hand to her. She smiled and took it on instinct. They then started to dance again. Silently, gracefully, and also giddily. The danced over sand like the playful souls they both were, and Sora kept twirling Kairi on the little islet as her shoes were discarded and her beautiful dress flowed. The steps weren't formal this time. They were improvised, and completely in-synch each time they moved.

Kairi kept giggling as Sora twirled her into a low dip, and took a minute to look into her eyes, holding her there. The familiar lyrics were pushed into the breeze around them, serenading their moment.

"Hold me..."

_______________****_________

"So nothing's going to be like before, huh?" he asked softly, smiling at her breathtaking face.

She just shook her head, returning his expression knowingly. "Nope, It's going to be much better."

**__**

"Whatever lies beyond this morning  
Is a little later on…"

"Cant wait." Sora said, leaning his face closer to hers to whisper against her ear. **_  
_**

All Kairi could do to express the rest of her feelings couldn't come from words. So she chose another action instead.

Kairi hung onto his neck as he leaned her back, and brought the distance between their lips to a close as they experienced one more earth shattering kiss. Third times were most certainly a charm, as they once again relived a scenario so familiar to them.

An island sky full of nighttime stars that smiled upon the pair that had ensured their safety.

Tumbling waterfalls in the background.

Crescendo of multiple ocean waves caught up in the gravitation of their affection.

Even a familiar taste lingered on their lips. A familiar sweet, destiny binding fruit.

**__**

"Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all…"

Kairi felt her feet being lifted off the ground as Sora swept her in his arms and carried her bridal style, twirling her around in blissful excitement. She clung to his arms, knowing they would never let her down, and laughed as they kissed and he danced her away down the beach to join the rest of their friends in the remainder of their celebration.

She gazed back up at the sky and smiled in return, wondering when history would repeat and their doors would be opened once again. But for now, all the princess could ask for was the calm in a storm of Light and Dark that had continuously encircled their lives. For that she was truly grateful.

**__**

Yuna's song had become the anthem of their journey and it whatever may come; it would ring true through the night, through these peaceful moments, and for the rest of their lives.

"Nothing's like before…"

_______________****________

* * *

_

I did it! Oh my god! I actually finished a story! I have never been so proud of myself! T.T

_But now the wedding is finally over. Don't think this is the end. Far from it. Its only the beginning. But as for the prologue, this thing is done! Please keep watching out. A secret chapter is coming up, one from a different perspective that you all may be familiar with. ^^ I just keep throwing out the surprises XD_

_For those of you have been so patient, I am going to give you short summary for ReAwakened, then you get an idea of what is coming up for the future._

ReAwakened:

You would think some doors would just stay closed…

Sora's daughter- the new princess with a heart of purest Light.

Riku's sons- two walkers of Twilight.

The Newest Keyblade Master chosen-a girl named by the Stars. Their worlds have connected-brought together by the darkness.

Their paths are now connected, tied by the Darkness.

Just like a bottle thrown into the ocean, the message may be gone for a while, but it will always resurface on the shores eventually. The past is doomed to repeat.

_Be prepared for drama. A new generation taking a new journey through a familiar old darkness. You're going to love it. I promise! Please review! If you want to give me any more ideas or predictions, those would be appreciated! Thankyou for sticking with me through this!_

_The very excited,_

Tasia'sEndlessDreams…


	8. Secret Chapter:Conversation

**I tried to keep a very open interpretation in mind for the events that happen after KH2 when writing this chapter. Keep that in mind as you read. You're going to love it though ^^ This conversation is very necessary, I promise you.**

* * *

The beach was dark and silent on this part. The waves were quiet, and a figure was watching from a good portion of shadows at the scene before them. The only other two on the beach were the happy couple on the islet, tossing a bottle with a very important message in the swaying ocean before them. The figure smiled happily enjoying, finally, an image of peace in her long life of struggle.

"It looks like they've set the next journey in motion," the figure whispered. "Hopefully it will be a very long time before that bottle actually reaches some one. There is still so much that needs to happen."

She said the names of the romantic pair with much respect intended.

"Sora, Kairi…take good care of yourselves. The future relies on your message more than you know."

"Hmm, It looks like I'm not the only one enjoying the view." Another voice added.

The female figure turned around quickly, and saw some one else step out of the shadows. They were wearing a dark, recognizable cloak, and their voice held a smirk laced within the tone.

"And _**who **_might you be?" She asked cautiously, getting ready to summon her weapon if trouble should happen. "It's not as if I could tell. At least with not that hood on."

"Well then I guess this thing is doing its job, even if its not needed anymore. Still, I couldn't very well travel between worlds with out it, now could I?" The voice said lightly.

She glared curiously at the cloak again. She had recognized it from a group of antagonists hailing after her, but they had all been destroyed.

"And again I ask, who are you?" she repeated, getting slightly irritated.

"You can just call me… a friend of the bride and groom." The voice said.

He lifted his hood, and a head of spiked back dark red hair was revealed from underneath. The figure's features were sharp, his eyes a bright green, tear shaped tattoos still resting beneath them. Aqua's mind searched for the memories of this figure from Sora's past journeys to identify him.

In the past she had been able to witness the memories of Sora's entire travels, in order to be brought up to detail with the events in the past she had missed. Some figures from these memories were quite familiar to her. Others were an enigma. This is where the store of memories in handy.

One came about and the description gave him away easily. The hair…the markings…yes. This no doubt was the Nobody linked closely to Sora and Roxas.

"I was told all about you." She stated, remembering the things told to her. "From the memories I've witnessed, you don't seem to have changed much."

And that was quite an accurate assumption. She presumed that his face had stayed the same since the time his Nobody form had faded into darkness. How strange of an occurrence.

"I've learned that the darkness does a pretty good job of preserving you." The redheaded figure explained, reading her mind. "Lucky me right?"

"I guess so." She shrugged thoughtfully, the mechanisms of his preservation still raising other questions in her mind. "How was your resurrection brought about?"

"Lets just say I finally realized where something I've lost can be found." He said simply. "I've been given a chance to find it. Also, Sora's saved me just one too many times to count."

So he was a rescue project from one of Sora's more recent journeys? Well, she could hardly say anything less for herself. The name of the redhead came floating from her mind, and she tested out its verification.

"Axel is your name, correct?" She questioned.

"That's right." He smirked. "Thanks for memorizing, even though I'm not really sure when you did... Now refresh me on yours again?"

"Aqua," she said, completely pulling off her own hood, revealing sapphire colored eyes and hair. " Master Aqua. Long time friend of the couple. So what brings you here?"

"Same reason as you." He said carelessly. "Had to give the lovebirds my blessing."

He looked off into the direction of the couple, and laughed as he witnessed them in the middle of a passionate kiss.

" Though it looks like they might start getting_** pretty busy**_ in a little while," He chuckled. "So I think a smile and nod from the distance will do just fine."

"Sure this isn't too far out of your way?" She smiled, wondering how he had gotten here in the first place.

"I came from almost the same place you did," Axel said knowingly. "So I wouldn't say it's too much."

And it was true; they had both been retrieved from deep darkness. Both preserved in the same way. And they both had the same reason to pay their respects.

"Besides, I can't miss my best friend's wedding, can I?" Axel added, leaning against a rock wall casually, a smile in his voice.

"Odd, don't you mean Sora's counterpart?" Aqua questioned with an equally light smile.

She knew about the bond he had formed with Sora's nobody. Was Sora truly of equal importance?

"Is there really a difference?" he recoiled. "And I **can** have more than one best friend. Lets just say I owe this kid a debt I cant easily repay."

He stared off at Sora and Kairi intently, his memories wandering to the wrong he done to them both in the past. The wrong they had both apparently forgiven him for.

"I see we both do." Aqua agreed, approaching him more. Her thoughts grew somber.

"The generosity of these heroes has spread too far and wide for one life time." She said shaking her head sadly.

"You make it sound like a bad thing." Axel commented.

"Well, they are still very young." Aqua pointed out, watching the couple dance playfully in each other's arms in the distance. "Everything had been given to them so suddenly."

"There also very capable." Axel responded, knowing very well to never underestimate the young group of heroes. "I've seen what Sora can do with a Keyblade in his hand. You can dissect his heart and split up his light and dark sides, but in the end it doesn't matter. Sora, Roxas, Ventus, no matter what name he goes by, he's still the same Hero going out of his way to save everyone around him."

"So would you say maintain a friendship with his heart, no matter what shape in its lifetimes it takes?" Aqua mused, taking the observation of the Keyblader into account with circumstances of her own.

"Something like that I guess." Axel said with a smirk, looking fondly at Sora from the distance.

"That's almost sentimental." Aqua brought up very matter-o-factly. " From what I've been told about you, do you have the heart for such emotions?"

He was still a Nobody, wasn't he? Ansem had informed Aqua all about them. They were hollow shells with no purpose of existence. How this one even came back from darkness must have been a miracle. It must have been the collision he'd had with Sora's heart.

"Almost. But not quite. Still not completely." Axel responded, then smirking as if reading her mind. "Though I'd have to say, contact with that Key Wielder is the closest I got back in the days."

She blushed from his correct analysis of her thoughts. Then again, he'd been a strategist back in the Organization (from what Ansem told her); such things weren't beneath him. She wondered which contact actually gave him the strength for a Heart as a Nobody though. He hadn't just interacted with Roxas. He had also been in contact with Sora. He had given up the Organization to find Roxas. He had sacrificed himself to save Sora. He done so many things against the nature of the cold emotionless creatures Ansem said Nobodies were supposed to be. She had learned all this and more, and felt maybe there was a reason he'd had more to him than the typical Nobody.

"Well, with your sacrifice, whose to say you didn't." She said, giving him a genuine smile. "Do you remember the days when you did have one? A heart I mean."

"All too well…" Axel said. He turned to Aqua and added something that surprised her.

"Actually, I remember Ventus too. He was your friend too, right? Fate's a pretty funny thing isn't it."

The thought of the blonde made a painful emotion prick behind Aqua's eyes. She had almost forgotten that Axel's Somebody had come in contact with Ventus all those years ago. Sora had freed him from Castle Oblivion a long while ago, and she hadn't seen him for such a long time…but then again…things were as they should be….

"It is indeed." Aqua commented sadly. " But it's alright, because everyone ended up how they should be."

She kept trying to convince herself.

"How is Ventus by the way?" Axel asked.

"He's where he should be." Aqua repeated, taking on a tone that indicated she had a lot more loss on her plate than she was letting on. "There isn't much more I can ask from him than that."

"Good to here I guess..." Axel said awkwardly, finally getting the hint this wasn't something she wanted to discuss. He changed the subject. " So why are you over here in the shadows?"

"Same reason as you are." She said, grateful for the topic change. " I'm letting them have their moment."

She saw as Sora swept Kairi up in his arms and carried her off down the beach to rejoin their celebration. They needed to celebrate, while they still could.

"Besides, I can't stay long." Aqua said, turning her back to them as they ran out of sight. " There is too much I must do. I just wanted to make sure the both of them were all right. And I can happily see, that for this moment, there is peace within this cluster of stars."

"This moment? That's a bit negative." Axel pointed out lightly. "You saying things aren't gonna finally stay this way?"

Truthfully, Axel had been looking forward to the chance to journey on his own, free of rescuing commitments. There were still a few things he needed to piece together.

"A moment of peace is merely just that, a moment." Aqua said wisely. "No matter how long it lasts it can not linger forever. The future is always ever changing, and there will always be a light and darkness with those willing to control it."

She turned to the stars, and did not doubt for one moment that there were still dark beings waiting to be released among them. Individuals who had yet to unlock the dark greed found in there own hearts.

"As long as the nature of the human heart exists, I'm afraid history is doomed to repeat." She finished with a sigh.

"Well that's depressing." Axel said blatantly.

"But it is reality." Aqua stated surely. " It's not all-bad though."

She turned back to the direction Sora had torn off to earlier, this time with another smile on her face.

" If there were no Darkness, then there would be no need for Light. And the need for more Heroes of Light in this lifetime is certainly not a negative thing."

"Oh yes, what _would_ the world be like without goofy grinned Keybladers like Sora running around." Axel joked, the vision of headstrong dimwitted 14 year old Sora grazing his memory.

"A very dark place." Aqua said seriously.

"I agree." Axel carelessly leaned back again, staring up at nothing unparticular. "Glad to know these guys won't be out of a job just yet. Gives me more chances to keep doing what I do best."

"And that would be?"

"Kicking ass." He shrugged simply. " What else?"

"I see, well, as much as you enjoy fighting by their side, who's to say it will be _**your**_ generation who fights the next round of darkness?" She said with a wise tone.

"If not us, then who will?" Axel questioned rhetorically.

"You know, that's what I thought, until Sora came along." She said reminiscently, gazing off at the stars and the now empty beach.

The journey she and her friends had taken weighed so heavily on their shoulders, that she thought no one would ever be able to save the worlds if they couldn't. But then, along came Sora, the Hero from their legend, with the exact same burden to bare.

She turned to Axel again, an inquisitive look in her eyes.

"You believe that power shifts, don't you Axel?"

"I've witnessed it too many times not too." He stated.

"Well then I'm sure you can understand when I say that this also applies to Keyblades and the future. I may have trained to be a Master, but the Blade still chooses it Wielder, whether they are ready for it or not."

She turned her eyes to the ocean, gluing then to the bobbing glass vial that had all but disappeared in the waves.

"Like a message in a bottle, tossed to the deepest regions of the Ocean, the power will always come back. But there is no guarantee that it will reappear in the same place."

"You're all for imagery and analogies, aren't you?" Axel teased with a smirk, placing a hand near her head on the cave wall, snapping her out of her daydreams.

"Its not hard to be poetic when you've seen as much as I have." She laughed, realizing how even more serious she had become over the years.

"Whatever, well lets hope the power doesn't shift too soon." He said carelessly, resting his back against the wall. "I'd like to use it while I still have the time."

"Speaking of time, why haven't you gone up to Sora and Kairi and everyone else either?" Aqua asked. "Are you short on it too?"

"Guess I'm just in a hurry. Those two will be fine." Axel said with a dismissive wave. "I'll be coming back around for Roxas' wedding anyway. Knowing him and Namine like I do, that's not gonna be too far away from now."

Another smile crossed his lips at the thought of Roxas and the caged little bird tying the knot right after Kairi and Sora. They were reflections of the two after all. Why would their anticipation be any different?

"Well, I'm sure they'll be happy to see you. I, in the mean time, still have a wedding gift to give them." She put her hood back on, as if preparing to depart soon.

"You mean there's more than just your blessing?" Axel joked. "Well now I feel cheap. Maybe I should go out and get them a waffle iron or something."

"The _gift_ I'm giving them is their peace, Axel." Aqua corrected sharply. "I'm going to try repaying my debt and preserving the safety of the worlds for as long as I can before the Keyblades are needed again. That is the most I can do for them. And there is too much to do, that's why I said I have to leave."

"Well I'm not stopping you."Axel said, replacing his own hood. " I'm leaving myself, so we I suggest we leave this conversation on a cliff hanger. I really don't want to waste the time I have, since apparently it's not going to last as long as I thought."

She could see his green eyes dance even within the darkness of his hood.

"Very well," She said with a nod. "Then we part ways. Good luck on your quest Axel."

"Same thing, _**Master Aqua**_."

They turned their backs to each other, and as they took there first steps in opposite directions, Aqua suddenly stopped shortly, and turned her head to ask Axel one final question.

"Axel?"

"What happened to "parting ways?" He questioned sarcastically.

"Well I was just wondering, if you'd mind if I asked, what exactly it is _you're _searching for?" Aqua asked, wondering if she was treading on careful ground.

Axel stopped and sighed. He wasn't really much for spilling his business, but little Miss Master had practically served her past ventures on silver platter to him.

"I guess I could tell." He said slowly, feeling uncomfortably obligated to give her an answer. "I searching for something important."

"And that would be…" Aqua prodded.

"The other side of my heart." He said, turning directly to her. "Memories I'd forgotten while in darkness have just come back to me, and I realized where it is now. I just have to find it."

"Where did you leave it?" She questioned, almost innocently.

"It took a little lesson from Sora and Kairi for me to finally realize where it's been all this time. I left it with some one, some one who might have forgotten about me a long time ago."

He pictured the figure's eyes in his mind. Those daring eyes that had sought him out so many times in his past. He only hoped he could reach them in time.

"Whoever they are, I hope you find them soon." Aqua said humbly. She realized she was not the only one in the world with a promise to keep.

Axel formed a dark portal, and stepped in front of it to exit.

"For their sake, I hope I do to."

* * *

_**For those of you who want to argue with me, I brought Axel back because it's imperative for the future of the plot line. I personally believe that Sora will save him in later games following Kingdom Hearts 2, but if not, I have my own method for him coming back. Like I said, it's very open to imagination. The important thing, is that he's back. Remember that. **_

_**Alright! Now on to ReAwakened! This is gonna be fun .: )**_


	9. Secret Chapter: ?

POV-?

I sobbed, sinking to my knees and crying out all the life left in my out of my silver eyes.

"Oh god!" I sobbed, shaking, teetering more over the edge the Twilight Town Clock Tower. "I'm so pathetic! I don't want this anymore! Whatever you left why didn't you take it with you! Look what you did to me…"

It was probably the weakest moment I'd ever had. Even more than that first day meeting him. Even more than both times he had left me. I was truly reaching my end.

"Why can't I get rid of it! Why shouldn't I? I'm going to get rid of it right now! Do you here me?" I screamed to the sleeping town below. "I'm going to waste this painful fragment and this empty shell right now! There's no one to stop me! There's no reason to stop me! There's no damn reason to exist…at all…anymore!"

Broken, I shrieked what I thought would be my final sobs , preparing to throw myself over the tower. I saw my life flash before my life in five seconds.

He was present in all five seconds.

After that, my death wish was ceased, because a force grabbed my wrist and wouldn't let me end my pain.

I couldn't even look back, just look below at Twilight Town as I was suspended by one last thread of life. Once the invisible force was sure that they had a good hold on me and that I wasn't going anywhere, I heard a voice that stopped my heart for another five seconds.

"Oh there's a reason." It said calmly, almost playfully. "Because I think I still might kind of need it."

My eyes widened. Then I was swooped away from the edge and into a tight hold. The pair of arms were strong, and I didn't even see the face of who had saved me. I breathed in deeply and smelled the faint sent of smoke, charcoal, and a warm, smoldering incense…

And the familiarity of the arms I was in finally kicked in.

* * *

**Sorry for the teaser, but this was a last minute decision. XP**

_**A bit of a short AND mysterious introduction to some one you haven't met yet. But you will…trust me…**_

_**It's also for the sake of time line…like I said…you'll see…**_

_**But I would like to take this time to thank people who need to be named for my inspiration for Dearly Beloved and ReAwakened. I am shamelessly promoting them so that you can check out their stories for yourself and appreciate how awesome this one is because of it. **_

_**First and foremost-**_

_**Kita Kudai-My editor. She is amazing. And patient. And amazing…and um…yeah^^ Sorry for my delays Kita dear…but you know they come as busy of a girl as I am! XS Also, she had been the one to whip me for writing mistakes (mostly grammar) and elaborating myself correctly. Thankyou for all you do Kita! I am a better writer because of you. **_

_**Next, and an equally important supporter,**_

_**Emi Hikari-The last chapter of her series "Nothing's like before" and "That's how we roll yo" is what spawned the entire idea of Reawakened into my head. That message in a bottle is inspired by her. Plain and simple. She always reviews my stuff, and we both are on the same creative wave length…though she may be a bit more diligent of a writer…But with that said I hope you check out all her KH stories. She's got ten of them. That's finished…ten…all finished…series…I am ashamed to call myself a writer…**_

_**So check em out and show her love! Lord knows I do! **_

_**Next,**_

_**Broken Republic-I doubt they're going to see this, since my type of writing isn't really "Their scene", but I'm giving props anyway. Broken Republic has written an amazing Axel starring story called. Broken Shield, that has completely solidified my own Axel theories. I got so much help from this it's not even funny. And it's amazingly written. So if you do happen to see this, thankyou Broken Republic! You were a rare muse to me^^ **_

_**Kirramagic-The first KH story I read on here was her "Kingdom Hearts:Fragments" story, it completely inspired my other story "Shimmering Darkness" and continues to keep me wanting to write more on here. You were the first kirra, that's all I can say^^**_

_**Any one who left me reviews-**_

_**You already know how awesome you are! You each get 100 cyber cookies! Message me with any ideas you have, I PROMISE! I will listen! **_

_**Thanks everyone! Hope you enjoyed one of my first and Oc's…finally…you have no idea how hard it was for me to write this story with out creating some one who is NOT supposed to be there. Oi…**_

_**Alright…the next chapter may be another long time coming…but that's because every time I start writing it disappears some how. The file gets deleted! Or I loose the notebook! Always something!**_

_**But don't you worry! The universe won't win! I will keep going on this story!**_

_**Happy New Years Everyone! Let's see if I can keep up with my fickle muse and all these resolutions! XP**_

_**-Tasia's Endless Dreams…**_


	10. Epilogue:Kairi

**White Doors**

Sora paced the starched white halls of Destiny Island's mainland hospital like a caged animal. He'd been in the waiting room for far too long, and worry was ravaging his mind.

This was one ominous white door he was forbidden to step through. One door the Keyblade could not open for him. Beyond those white hospital doors, was Kairi. She was giving birth to their first child, and he was stuck out there.

Kairi had been so wonderfully forgiving at the beginning of the delivery, and had actually tried being the one to soothe his nerves and hold his hand, telling him everything would be okay. Things hadn't been going exactly as planned, since she was actually having the baby several weeks early.

Her OBGYN had told her she wouldn't be able to carry the baby to full term because of some kind of uterus abnormality that she had. However, the doctor had insured her that if she could at least make it to 34 weeks without any complications, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) could take in the baby and take care of the rest without any problems. Still, when the fateful day had arrived several hours ago, Sora's peace of mind was long gone out the window, and Kairi could only exude sympathy at the worry she knew he entertained on her behalf.

Yet, as the contractions progressively worsened, Kairi's sympathetic and caring nature became progressively more violent.

The process was physically painful for both of them, as Kairi had begun trying to break the hand she was holding before. Then again, perhaps in the face of childbirth ,before proper drugs could be utilized, even a Princess of Heart couldn't help herself from shouting out a few death threats on the life of the person she loved the most. Not to mention letting a few obscenities slip. It was only natural.

_x_

_"Sora! Stop whining about your damn hand and get the hell over here!" Kairi had shrieked back in the delivery room while another wave of pain had hit. "You did this to me! I'm never letting you touch me again! Do you hear me!? I swear to God, if you even try, I will castrate you with a rusty Keyblade!"_

_Yes, perfectly natural._

_x_

Though if Kairi had ever shown that kind of ferocity in battle against Heartless of any kind, nothing would have been left standing alive.

Consequently, Sora had been in the room during one of her more violent fits before the proper dosage of epiderral could be given, and the aftermath had left him unconscious. The nurses had to drag him back out in the waiting room because the delivery was becoming a serious affair, and they couldn't have him be dead weight and in the way.

When Sora had awoken, he had stormed right up to the doors and demanded to be re-entered so he could be with Kairi, but they wouldn't let him.

_"Complications,"_ the doctor had said.

Sora's blood had run cold at that word. His protective instinct was beginning to overpower his rationality, and the only possible solution he could come up with was to summon the Key blade and bash his way through anything and anyone that stood between Kairi and he. That's what had always worked. He wouldn't leave her alone, especially not at a time like this. He had vowed to always take care of her, and damn it, this was going against everything he'd ever promised.

As Sora's mind went into a tail spin, Riku was kind enough to drag his best friend kicking and screaming back to the waiting room before he did anything stupid. He, and a small mixed group of family and friends, had gone to the hospital with the couple to insure support. Riku knew Sora better than anyone, and he knew when Sora's actions would usually turn out of his best interest.

"Sit." Riku commanded, forcing Sora back on the stiff blue couch he had regained consciousness on.

Sora instinctively sat up to go confront the doctors again, but Riku pushed him back down and shoved a cup of coffee in his hands to give him something to grip. Yuffie had been courteous enough to make a coffee run to keep everyone awake during Kairi's midnight delivery. The caffeine was also needed to soothe everyone's heads.

"Riku! Stop it! I don't need coffee, I need a way into that delivery room!" Sora complained.

"They already told you what was going on Sora," Riku tried rationalizing to him. "Sometimes premature births just happen. Kairi is being monitored by high end doctors every time she blinks, and the baby is far enough along they told you the survival rate is practically guaranteed. What you need is to be patient."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing Riku!" Sora said determined. "I have to be in there! There has to be something I can do for Kairi! This is ridiculous!"

"Sora, calm down." Riku kept up, sensing his best friend was close approaching a rant.

"How am I supposed to calm down Riku!" Sora let out irately. "Kairi is in there and I'm stuck out here! How is that supposed to make me calm? They won't let me see her! Who do they think they are anyway? What's stopping me from breaking in there and tearing through every single white coat that gets in my way? Nothing, that's what! I'm a Key blade Master! Complications? I'll give them complications!I'll-"

"Sora, I repeat, calm down."

Sora bit his lip and was deathly silent, glaring into his coffee.

"You don't understand Riku…" he protested, trying to keep the tone of his voice under control. "I have to be with her. I NEED to. I need to do something, damn it! Just sitting here isn't working."

"Do you NEED me to hold your hand?"Riku said as he rolled his eyes, since Sora was clearly forgetting he was far from a new comer at this kind of experience.

"What are you going to do?" Riku added more seriously, trying to talk some sense into him. "Summon the Keyblade and fight your way in until they let you see her?"

Sora pouted for millisecond, not liking how easy it was for Riku to read his mindset.

"If that's what it takes!" he still shot back in defense, obviously not thinking.

"And then what? Get your self thrown out of here?" Riku retaliated back. "That's not going to help Kairi."

Sora just looked down and Riku saw the break in his demeanor.

"But what if-what if something goes wrong?" He murmured frustrated. "What if she needs me, and calls out my name and I can't be there for her because they forced me out here!"

Riku sighed, finally seeing the extent of Sora's control and his true worry. He knew he needed to be compassionate, based on the circumstances.

"Sora," Riku lectured softly. "Kairi's a tough girl. She's also proven to you before that she's stronger than you're giving her credit for right now."

Sora's face crumpled into his hands, like a burden being placed onto his shoulders out in the open.

"Riku, I don't know what I'm going to do if something happens…to either of them…" he murmured, barely audible. "I'm so scared…"

"Sora," Riku sighed. "The best thing you can do is to let the doctors do their job. You just have to-"

"No Riku. It's not just about that..." he admitted, then let out a heavy breath that had been caught in his throat. "I'm just so scared of everything! This wasn't to supposed to happen yet. The baby hasn't even been born, and I've already screwed up. I don't know if I'm ready for this. In all of the most challenging events of my life…"

He summoned the Kingdom Key into his hand, looking at it with heavy despair.

"This…is what I've used to get me through them." he said weakly. "This was the key, the answer to everything. All I had to do was trust it and let it do its job, and everything would be okay. But now…this is useless. This isn't something that can be fixed by light and darkness or keys and doors. This is all on me. And if something happens to them now…or ever happens to therm, I have nothing to lean on and no one to blame but myself."

There it was. All the pitiful sentiments laid right out in the open. An awkward moment of silence passed between them, as Riku thought a moment, trying to think of the right words to say without sounding like just as much of a broken record as Sora had been.

"Come on, Sora," he let out eventually. "I know that you're stressed right now, but you can't really believe that."

"I don't know what to believe or think right now Riku." Sora admitted shakily. "I'm a mess."

"No, you're a new dad." Riku stood up and put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "It comes with the territory. Soon you'll be able to balance out that anxiety you're feeling and use it productively."

"How can I do anything when I'm so terrified I'm going to make one wrong decision that will destroy everything!"

"You'd be stupid if you weren't scared." Riku quipped. He gripped the brunette's shoulder, trying to get him to look up. "But you can't be afraid of making tough decisions Sora. And even still, you can't pretend you haven't made them before."

"It's not the same…"

Riku sighed. This was getting difficult for him to illustrate to Sora calmly. All he wanted to do was to yell at him to just snap out of it so he could get it together and be there for Kairi. Still, he tried once again to dissect it for the frazzled young man.

"Well not literally," he said." But by swinging around that key, you've gained valor and wisdom that some twice your age could never comprehend. You've learned to never give up on anything…or anyone…no matter how hopeless it might seem.

Riku smirked, and Sora returned it somewhat, knowing his best friend was very much referring to himself.

"That's what's going to help you Sora. Those are the things you're going to rely know all this already. "

"How did you do it Riku?" Sora said in a deep breath, trying to relieve all of his built up tension. "I mean, you had to do this with TWO of them to worry about. My brain is exploding at the thought of just one."

"Hey man, you should just feel lucky they put you out here instead of in there during the final stages of delivery." Riku compared tiredly. "If you think Kairi was scary, imagine how Yuffie was. With twins."

A mental picture suddenly came across to Sora, and he grimaced humorously.

"That bad, huh?"

Riku nodded somberly.

"I still have the scars. I also still wonder how Yuffie was even able to get those shuriken into the delivery room."

"Well, she is the world's 'greatest-female-ninja," Sora teased, lightening up just slightly.

"Yeah, lucky me," Riku said bitterly. "It got even better when she ran OUT of shuriken and started reaching for the hospital tools to fling at me like kunai knives. You already know I had to stay in the hospital a day after the twins were born since I needed blood transfusions."

Sora let a grin crack past his anxiety ridden face, and Riku smiled to himself in relief. The Sora he knew was coming back to reality.

"I'm not claiming I'm ever going to be father of the year any time soon." He sighed and ran a hand through his own hair, trying to get Sora to see the point. "But, I know I got those scars from someone who was just as worried as I was about the exact same thing. Obviously her scars are going to be a lot different then mine, but I know we've both suffered for the same reason, and in the end, that makes it a little better."

Sora just nodded, looking downward, and intaking the words to the most of his ability.

They sat in silence for a few moments as Sora contemplated. He was still unsettled, but Riku was confident his best friend was now in control of his urge to shed blood to get to their beloved princess.

Leaning forward, with his bent down and pressed against his folded hands, Sora asked quietly,

"Riku…Do you think I'm really going to be a good dad?"

Riku thought a moment and smirked.

"Yeah…I think you're going to do just fine. But, whenever you get that ridiculous idea in your head that all of the world falls on your shoulders and its got you hanging by a thread, remember that you can give Kairi a little of the weight, because I'm sure she's happy to share it with you."

Almost subconsciously at Riku's lecturing, Sora did something he hadn't needed to in ages. He reached into his deep pockets, and pulled out an ordinary ring of keys. Securely dangling on a thin silver chain link among all the generic keys, was Kairi's good luck charm. He'd been carrying it like this for a while now, but he'd rarely felt the need to channel its "energy" since Kairi had been right next to him everyday as of recently. However, at a time when he couldn't feel farther from her, he knew he needed it now more than ever.

The childish scribbling of a smiling face on the faded shells gave him a strange sense of comfort that all of Riku's rationalizing seemed to barely surface. Looking at her charm, he was reminded of how close she was, how much she was counting on him, and yet how much merely thinking of her could do to strengthen both of them. He was there with her. And somehow now, he knew she could feel it.

"Not to mention you have an entire island, if not an entire galaxy, to help you hold on through whatever you going to go through."

Sora then looked down at the Kingdom Key he hadn't un-summoned yet, and thought of entire stars full of support that existed beyond time and space boundaries.

"And then you've always got me, to help pick up the slack whenever you fall off." Riku concluded, nudging Sora softly on the shoulder with his fist to break him out of his deep demeanor.

"Thanks man." Sora said with a faint smile, then exhaling deeply at the thought that he had to believe Kairi was strong enough carry them both from time to time.

Suddenly, one of the doctor's they both recognized as being in charge of Kairi's delivery came through double doors and approached them.

"Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting, but I just wanted to let you know the delivery is over."

Sora shot up like a bolt of lightning, all serenity he may have been contemplating going completely out the window at the new developments.

"What happened? How's Kairi? How are they? Did they both make it out okay? Where are they!" he interrogated with rapid fire.

"Sora…" Riku warned warily once again, reminding Sora that he needed to contain himself if he desired any results. Still, he couldn't completely subdue his own anxiety at Kairi's well being.

However, the doctor seemed un-phased, just writing on a chart and giving the pair of them a reassuring smile.

"They're both fine." He turned to Sora specifically. "Your wife is recovering in the delivery suite, and the baby is being moved to the NICU as we speak. They need to get her stabilized and into an isolette so she can finish developing properly."

Sora's eyes widened at the word "stabilized."

"It's a perfectly protocol procedure with her still being a little underdeveloped, mainly in her lungs, but a respirator will help any trouble she has until she's big enough to breathe on her own. " The doctor reinforced to Sora comfortingly. "Everything else about her should even out fairly quickly, since she was only a week or two shy of being full term. There were no severe under-developments, and anything she may end up having will be short term. The neonatal nursery is going to take great care of her."

All the technical terms were doing nothing to soothe Sora's emotions, as kind as the doctor had tried to be. In reality, he and Kairi had been informed about all this during her ultrasound appointments, but any information he was supposed to have retained by now had abandoned his frantic brain.

Suddenly, one solitary word hit him. He tried to register it as it sunk in.

"Her? It's…a girl?"

Kairi had convinced him that they wanted to be surprised about the gender, since it had been something to look forward to amongst all the uncertainty. Occasionally, he had caught himself musing about having both, not really favoring one over the other. However, the reality that the baby was now here…and was a girl…hit him like a freight train.

"Does…Kairi know?" Was all Sora could continue to squeeze out from his lungs.

The doctor nodded again.

"She seemed elated to find out the gender, since you two have been waiting for so long." He said with an optimistic tone.

"She hasn't been able to hold the baby yet, since we needed to take the infant straight to neonatal care, but she should be able to have one on one contact with her soon. Maybe even in the next day or so, once she's recovered herself."

Sora looked down sadly. After all that…Kairi still couldn't even hold the baby yet…her baby…their baby…

It was all too much.

"Um, excuse me?" A dark haired nurse peaked her head out of the same doors the doctor had come out of. "I'm sorry to interrupt," She said apologetically with a smile, then turning her eyes to Sora. "But she's asking for you."

Sora shifted his head uncertainly between the doctor and Riku, even though his body was already in the process of moving toward the doors.

"Go ahead." Riku said, nudging Sora's shoulder reassuringly to go forth so he could stop pacing sporadically. "I'll hold down the fort here and start calling everyone to give them updates on how things went."

Sora just nodded with gratitude, and the doctor followed him and the nurse down the corridor to Kairi's room.

"We can discuss more of the details later." The doctor reinforced. "She may pass out in a few minutes, since the labor was fairly intense, but I'm sure she'll be happy to have you there until then. You've got quite the tough girl on your hands."

"Don't I know it." Sora said proudly, feeling more confident in the words than he expected to.

The nurse poked her head into Kairi's room and called softly.

"We have someone here to see you."

Sora crept in, and stopped as he gazed at Kairi's worn out appearance. Her wine red layered hair was plastered to her face and she faintly tried to swipe it to the side with a pale hand. She looked up to him in the door way, and gave him that smile with her violet blue eyes that never failed to make his heart stop.

"It's a girl," She whispered excitedly, and he rushed over to her side nodding with equal enthusiasm at the information they both already knew.

A soft grin, despite her fatigue, now spread across her lips, and Sora was continuously contemplating how she could still be so radiant even after just coming out of something like childbirth. He concluded it must be a Princess of Heart thing.

He took her hand gently, and she looked at his inquisitively, frowning at the splints set up around a few of his fingers from the aftermath of her previous fury.

"I'm sorry I almost broke your hand…" she murmured guiltily, but he merely grinned and silenced her with a kiss just below her hair line.

"Sorry I wasn't man enough to take it," he said jokingly, leaning over and touching his forehead to hers.

"Be quiet you," she sighed playfully and nudged him with her nose. "I really am sorry, but once they gave me that amazing stuff…man…I was right as rain…*

She let slip a soft, delirious giggle; and Sora was sure that whatever they had finally given her…she was still probably on it.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, getting better situated into the chair posted right by her bedside.

"I'm fine," she said with a tired sigh, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "I did it. She's finally here, and that's all that matters."

"I'm proud of you," she said, leaning over to kiss her softly as he could tell she was close from slipping out of consciousness.

"I know you are," she said contently. "I knew you were right here the whole time. That's what made it easier."

Sora held his breath for a sharp moment, feeling a twinge of guilt for ever doubting her back in the waiting room.

"What should we name her?" Kairi asked sleepily with a smile, curling her body slightly to face Sora's position at her bedside.

He lifted her hair away from her face, watching her drift off.

"How about we wait to hold her first, then we can worry about that later."

"Don't worry. " Kairi said with a heavy yawn, recognizing the distraction in his voice immediately. "It will all turn out fine. I know it."

Sora twirled a strand of her hair in repressed thought, marveling, yet not surprised at her ability to identify his every emotion, just like Riku.

"I know it's going to be fine cause…" Kairi murmured in finality before drifting off to sleep. "Instead of waiting and worrying by myself…I have you this time…that's how I know…"

He said nothing as he merely continued stroking her hair, not wanting to say anything that may disturb the peace she had rightly earned now. Monitors and different machinery hummed softly in the room like an unconventional lullaby,in this sanctuary, that had been encased behind those ominous white doors,

Sora knew no more of their future than he did over seven years ago, when a voice from a dream told him to not be afraid. He closed his eyes in what seemed to be only a moment of calm in an upcoming raging hurricane, but as he listened to Kairi's soft breathing that seemed to overpower the other midnight sounds of the hospital, he felt settled and ready. It far from cured for his uncertainty, but for the time being, it certainly helped.

X

**A/N-**

**Yeah…yeah….I'm back…do we really need to go through all the excuses you guys expect from me anyway? ;)**

**Guess what? This was officially the LAST chapter of this story! Guess what else? There's a part two to this chapter…and guess what it's going to be posted in? ReAwakened perhaps ?Guess what I'm asking so I'll finally post the story that Dearly Beloved is a prequel to? At least 15 reviews of people excited or predicting or rambling or criticizing this story after its long hiatus! I'd just like to know if people are reading this or if it should be put on permanent hiatus. :) **

**You guys have no idea how happy I am to finally get this chapter out….it has taken me sooooo lonnnnggg T.T**

**Plus I had to do tons of preemie research when I through that little wrench monkey into the plot for our beloved Keyblader. Any thoughts are appreciated!**

**ALSO! IMPORTANT NOTE: **

**The secret chapter "Conversation" was written long before any information had been given about Aqua and Lea and the seven Keybladers that will now be in the future plot and all that jazz. Due to my inability of NOT letting my stories drift too far away from a canon plot (says the girl that brought back Roxas and Namine XS) I will be rewriting that scene, along with a general edit of the chapter on my part so they reflect the more developed writing style I've gained. My future plot won't change too much, but I do want to include awareness of the relationship Lea and Aqua will have had by this point. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, awesome! Just keep reading, and know that Chapter 8 will be changing and it may be even better! ;) **

**Thank you guys so much for all the support this story has received so far. I hope I can update like rapid fire now that I'm over this Achilles heel of a chapter! It's good to be back :)**

**With much love,**

**Tasia**


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